


Determined Magics

by mamamittens



Series: Magic in the Soul [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Big Brother Papyrus, Big Brother Sans, Expect canon changes, I'm starting to see why there arent' more crossovers, Just that they're older then Harry, Mentally, Neither Skele Bro knows whos actually older, Older Sibling Frisk, Rating May Change, Sans will not be happy when he realizes what happened, Tags may be added, Typical Frisk Backstory of Abuse, between Harry Potter and Undertale that is, british wizards are idiots, but no promises, expect light angst, gender neutral frisk, i'll try to avoid language, jesus the timeline is fucked up, non mute Frisk, of both fandoms, or heavy angst, puns, reference/implied child abuse and abandonment, rest of the cast will be here, that's for sure, this crossover hurts, this is Undertale so expect genocide to at least be referenced
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-05-18 17:05:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 49,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5936233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mamamittens/pseuds/mamamittens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frisk was starting to lose hope that the Resets would ever stop. Then this kid falls on top of them and starts apologizing like there's no tomorrow. Harry, for his part, is just really confused.<br/>Sans isn't holding his breath, but at least Chara isn't in control... and the new kid is pretty cute. It almost hurts how little he thinks of himself, but Sans can relate. He doesn't like making promises, but if this is the last time he goes through all this, whoever is responsible for Harry and Frisk being here in the first place is going to H A V E  A  B A D  T I M E.</p><p> </p><p>Please read at least the note on the first chapter to clear up any discrepancies that may appear concerning Harry Potter timeline.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sweet Jesus World Building Sucks

The Dursley family was the most ordinary British family to have ever vacationed in America. There was Vernon Dursley, a large portly man, who was married to Petunia Dursley. Petunia was a rather thin woman with a sour expression more often than not. Dudley Dursley was their son, and took after his father in nearly every way, from his heavy set weight to his unpleasant attitude. Oddly enough, this British family had a secret, or rather, a nephew. Harry James Potter was the son of Petunia’s sister, Lily Evans. Harry took mostly after his father as well, like, his uncontrollably wild black hair and bad eyesight, for example. Everything save for his large green eyes and very loving nature, which came from his mother. Which was very unfortunate for Harry. Both his parents passed away on Hallow’s Eve when he was scarcely a year old. Later, he would discover that they were murdered by a magical madman, but for now, he was just the orphan nephew of the Dursley family. Which was also very unfortunate for Harry.

            You see, in a great ironic twist, the Dursley family did what was the most horrifically un-ordinary thing when they took Harry in. For the past seven years, the Dursley family was very abusive. Abuse is not something to be trivialized with “well at least they didn’t—“ or “it could be worse, like—“. But, while Harry was forced to do chores that were almost comically unsuited for his age, he was always given at least something to eat and drink every day and he had a place of his own to sleep. This meal usually consisted of a bread slice and a cup of water, and the place he slept was also just a small closet under the stairway. Harry was also never brutally beaten, which is a plus, but smacks were common and there was that fuzzy memory of getting hit with a frying pan once. For the most part, the physical abuse was made by his cousin, Dudley.

            Dudley had a gang, you see, well, as much as a nine year old boy can have a gang. It was more of a… group of incredibly troubling children than a gang. Almost, but not quite. But the worst part of the abuse had to have been the verbal abuse. For the first five years of Harry’s young life, he was convinced his name was Freak Boy… or perhaps it was Boy Freak? It was terribly difficult for Harry to tell when the Dursley’s preferred to either A) have Harry do a chore that was probably better left to a capable adult, B) ignored completely in his closet, or C) ensure that Harry was deeply aware that he was nothing but a burden.

            Why is any of this relevant, you may ask? Well, remember earlier, the part about a magical madman? Well, you see, the main reason the Dursley’s hated Harry was because of his parents. Or rather, the kind of people his parents were. You see, Harry’s parents were wizards. Well, his father was a wizard, but his mother was a witch. In fact, James Potter, Harry’s father, was actually a wizard from a long line of wizards. He was referred to in the magical British society as a “Pure-Blood”. His mother on the other hand, was actually a first-generation witch, though no one was aware that her great-great grandmother was technically a witch as well. Lily Evans was what that same magical society referred to as a “Muggle-Born”. Muggles being the term for a human without magic. Lily’s great-great grandmother was actually a “Squib”, which is the opposite of a Muggle-Born, being that she was born in a Pure-Blood family but had no magic herself. Fun fact, most Muggle-Born are actually descendants from abandoned Squibs.

            The magical madman was Tom Riddle, or, as he was called at the time, Lord Voldemort. He, along with his followers, had a very… well, racist view of Muggle-Born and Pure-Bloods, as the terminology might indicate. Voldemort was feared at the time, so feared, in fact, that no one would speak his name. He was, by the general populace, called “He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named”. Around the height of his power he heard of a prophecy. This prophecy was not relayed in its entirety to him, but what was heard spoke of a boy. A boy who would be born at the end of July who would defeat him. To be more specific, a boy born from those “who thrice defied him”. Now, as anyone really studied in prophecy knows, this sounds an awful lot like a “self-fulfilling prophecy”. If anyone beyond those particular eight people had known of the prophecy, then they would have been laughing for ages at what happens next. You see, there were two boys born at the end of July that fit what Tom (you’ll understand why he is called this rather than his hyphenated name or personal nickname in a moment). Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom.

            So, despite the two couples hiding with their children, Tom found out their locations and attacked. His loyal followers, the Lestranges, attacked Longbottom manor while he himself went after the Potters in Godric’s Hollow. Now, the reason the Potter’s were found was because they had been betrayed, but that will be covered later, I promise. James and Lily Potter sacrificed their lives to save their child. James to buy time and Lily to protect Harry. While James’ death was not in any way lesser than Lily’s death, it was her death that set up the ultimate protection for Harry. It was, in a word, a Mother’s Magic that saved him. Fueled by desperation, Determination, and magic. Lily Potter created a magical barrier to protect her son from those who intended to harm him. It was not entirely on purpose, more of an accidental hybrid of ancient runes, the magical power of three, and Soul Power.

            Babies are born with white Souls. Yes, capitalized. It’s the purest color there is, because the babies have yet to define themselves yet. James happened to have an orange Soul, which stands for Bravery. Lily herself had a red Soul, which stood for Determination. There isn’t really a set number of colors for a particular trait, either, but there are seven colors that generally mean one thing. But when Lily sacrificed herself, she unintentionally gave away her very Determination and her magic to her son, Harry, who had only a white Soul at the time. This was cemented when, just moments later, Tom cast the Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra. The only real way not to die from this spell is to either not get hit, block it with a sturdy physical object, or have sacrificial protection. Naturally, as a toddler, it was only the third option that saved Harry.

            The Killing Curse backfired spectacularly and destroyed Tom’s mortal shell, a small fraction of his Soul also latching onto Harry via the new lighting bolt shaped scar on his head. That, is why I call him Tom. Powerful wizard, trumped by a toddler, solely because he was lazy. What can kill a toddler besides the Killing Curse (almost the only bit of magic that was negated by Lily’s sacrifice?). Literally, anything else. A few inches of water in a bathtub. A tumble down the stairs... Just… literally anything else would have worked.

            But, I digress. Tom actually had a red Soul too (it certainly wasn’t blue for Integrity or Patience). He was very Determined, particularly in not dying, as Harry, as well as a great many other people, would one day discover. When Lily’s Determination, her sacrifice, Tom’s Determination, and his Soul combined with Harry, something entirely strange was created. It was sentient, this strange new magic. It clung to Harry like a cobweb and ensured that he would always survive the ill intent of others, given that the magic had something to feed off of. This food source being love between family members, preferably blood related.

            A certain wizard with a long white beard—no, not Merlin—would call it a blood ward and insist he be placed with his muggle relatives. So, now we know why I refuse to call Tom “Voldemort” and you likely know by now that the magic protecting Harry is likely dead by now. You’d be almost right. You see, when a small slice of a red Soul forcibly attaches to a white Soul while a whole red Soul fuses with magic to create a protective barrier something strange happens to that Soul. Determination is present in every Soul, just in varying amounts, red being the highest concentration. With so much Determination surrounding the Soul as protection a sort of… reflection happens.

            You see, while Harry mentally believes he is a burden, a freak, deep down in his Soul he knows an incredible amount of love and Determination that doesn’t actually come from himself. Well, not at first. Within a year of living with the Dursleys and not receiving even a little bit of that powerful emotion, his Soul began to synthesize love of its own. The color of a Soul filled with Love is actually pink. It’s so close to red due to its origins but not quite red enough to be Determination. There’s actually three colors associated with love, that being a very pale green as well as a very pale blue (having sprouted from Kindness/green and Patience/light blue so to speak), but that is mostly because magical emotions tend to cause lighter coloration in Souls. Love being the most powerful magic in the universe and often, the most fatal, sadly enough. But as we can see here, sacrifice has great power in magic, doesn’t it?

            Now that I have thoroughly bored you with history, which will not be the last time I’m afraid, let’s get to the point, shall we?

            In the summer of 2000, the Dursley’s got an all-expenses paid vacation to America, to be more specific, the town of Ebott somewhere in the upper right part of Colorado. The company Vernon worked for, a drill company to be precise, wanted someone to scout out the area to see if it was worth investing overseas in a foreign construction company. The best low-key way to do that was a family vacation. What the Dursleys, or most of the world for that matter, did not know, was that Ebott was actually quite the magical town. It was actually entirely the fault of Mt. Ebott, or rather, the events that happened about 1000 years ago at that very site… sort of.

            But _that_ in particular can be covered in more detail later. Let’s just say that European wizards rarely think things through, including how unwise it is to throw a problem through space and time.

            What you do need to know is that when the Dursley’s finally arrived, it did not take long for them to hear of the strangest local tale about the mountain the town was named after. Supposedly, anyone who climbs it, never returns.

            When Petunia heard this, she immediately suspected wizards were involved, and she would be mostly right, actually. In her mind, there was no better place to dump the unwanted nephew than with his own kind, which she knew she wouldn’t be able to do in England because of the note left with Harry around seven years ago. But from what she knew of international politics, and freaky people (that being wizards) in general, they probably don’t bother with other countries freaky people unless they had to. This would be one of those rare times where Petunia was a little too on the nose about her thoughts on wizards.

            So, it was a simple matter to just dump Harry at the abandoned bus station with his meager belongings, and tell him very clearly to “Not bother coming back down, because we’ll be long gone. Useless freak.”

            It doesn’t really matter that, as Petunia was driving away, having left Vernon and Dudley at the hotel for this small chore, Petunia felt a spot of guilt grow in her heart. For a single moment, she felt as though she was doing exactly what her sister did when she discovered the world of magic. Leave her alone and abandoned to the cruel reality that she wasn’t nearly as pretty, talented, or even magical as she had desperately hoped she secretly was. For a brief moment, she thought she saw her beautiful sister crying in the rear view mirror whispering apologies. It hardly matters that, in a rare moment for the bitter woman, a tear fell from her eye as she whispered _I know, I’m sorry too_.

 _\--But nobody came_ \--

            Harry Potter, for the second time in his life, was left all alone in a situation he should not have been in. The first being in his infancy on a doorstep in November on 4 Privet Drive. He didn’t really know what to think, having been abandoned in the middle of nowhere, though he suspected Aunt Petunia expected him to climb the mountain for some reason. He wasn’t particularly dressed for mountain climbing, but if that was what his Aunt Petunia wanted, then he best get to it. The ratty red backpack held two changes of clothes, a water bottle that Dudley refused to use after one time, and three green army men that Dudley would never particularly miss. His gray shirt was a little too big for him, as were his jeans and ratty trainers, but Harry was quite used to that.

            So, it was with resignation, that Harry Potter began to climb up the mountain side. It was actually sort of fun, since he didn’t have to worry about Dudley finding him all the way out here, or worry about how long it was taking him to steadily climb the mountain. He wasn’t let out much, being a freaky child that no one wanted to deal with, so it was a bit tiring. That’s why, when he came to a small cave as the sky rumbled in warning, he decided he best hide in the sheltered area. As his feet passed the mouth of the cave, rain came pouring down so suddenly that Harry jumped and turned around. His legs moving backwards automatically. This was unfortunate, because if Harry had been looking, he would have known there was a large hole just four feet behind him. It will come as no surprise that in short order, Harry was tumbling down the hole and into what would be the best accident of his life, after the accidental formation of the magic that protected him from death years before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! You made it! Cool! I know that was probably hard to go through, but damn. For two fandoms that both have magic and magical creatures, combining the two is a special shade of hell, I swear. Also, I tried to write this like some vaguely omniscient fairy tale, so expect mostly clean language. If you've read my other work, We Are All Falling, this should really impress you. Like, a lot. I'll go over why Harry has a pink soul (like, not the circumstances but my justification for it) later. Here, i'll tell you why I think Ebott is in America. 
> 
> Britain has enough shit going on in the Harry Potter verse, okay? And I can't handle the language barrier of the rest of Europe. Also, i'm more familiar with America than Europe. Besides, time shenanigans is partially the reason why the monsters have to worry about freedom rather than racist assholes in a magical community they can't escape. If you have a question, or suggestion, please do leave a comment! Enjoy!
> 
> *Edit 5/27/2016
> 
> In case anyone was concerned, I have altered the HP timeline a little bit so I can write this story in a time period I can actually consciously remember rather than 1989, which is what year canon!Harry would actually BE 8 years old. Just... consider the HP timeline shoved forward about eleven years, alright? Everything else about the timeline is pretty much the same until the events of this escapade make it different (which will make sense in later chapters and the sequel). Thanks for reading this little tid-bit!


	2. Frisk, Please Don't Encourage Harry to Flirt

Frisk was in a rut, a very metaphorical time loop specific rut. They weren’t entirely sure exactly how many times they’d woken up in a patch of golden flowers looking up at a distant point of light far above their head. There was even a kind of heavy weight on their chest… odd. Usually it’s on their back that they felt their sins. They looked down and froze in shock.

            There, for the first time _ever_ , was someone else with them. The little kid seemed to be about six, a bit underfed as well, and had incredible black hair. It was wild. It was untamed. It made the kid look adorable. Rather ugly black glasses laid askew on the cute face. He, Frisk thought the kid was a boy at least, seemed to be trying to curl into a small ball on their chest. Rather small and thin fingers clutched into the purple and blue striped sweater. Frisk brought a hand up and dragged it through raven locks. A button nose seemed to twitch as a barely contained flinch went through the small boy. Blearily, the prettiest green eyes Frisk had ever seen opened up and looked at them. When the kid blanched and seemed to flinch away from them in fear, Frisk knew they were in big trouble. _This kid is like a cuter version of myself._

\--That’s a wonderful idea!—

            When Harry dropped into the time loop, it was a rather close shave. If he had been just a minute early, he would have dropped off into the dark void between Resets. If he had been a minute later, then he would have probably broke Frisk’s ribs by accident. Now, there was a rather bitter spirit attached to that fateful patch of golden flowers. Chara, was their name, and all you need to know right now is that Chara was not happy.

            Consumed by rage and pain from their past without the proper grounding of succeeding in their original task, Chara fruitlessly searched for what they had lost. Love. Unfortunately, love happens to be an acronym for Level of Violence. Which is gained when enough EXP, or Execution Points, are earned. So, for a great many Resets, Chara would possess Frisk and run through the underground, murdering every innocent denizen they encountered.

            When Harry fell down with Frisk in that small window of time, Chara sensed a new possible host. Not one to waste an opportunity, Chara immediately attempted to possess Harry. Imagine Chara’s surprise when they encountered a Soul splinter driven mad with rage. Have you ever had a moment where you begin to act crazy, but then you see someone so far off the deep end you literally take a step back to reevaluate your life decisions? That’s what happened here. For someone who _knew_ a great many things about the Soul to see such a horrifically shattered piece of Soul almost leeching off of another, Chara knew that there was something wrong here. That was all the strange magic sheltering Harry needed.

            Like a cunning spider sensing weakness, magic clung to Chara’s spirit. What little magic that was left from Harry’s mother patched up the glaring holes in Chara’s psyche. Chara was now the guardian in control of keeping Tom’s fractures Soul from eating away at Harry and keeping Harry safe from magical danger. It was, perhaps, the best and worst magical decision ever. Woe be to any fool that threatens Harry now. Chara certainly wasn’t changed very much in this transition. Just more sane, and able to clearly recall everything they had ever done.

            Chara, for their part, was very… dizzy, in a sense. Suddenly, they were anchored to an eight year old boy by magic they had never seen before. They were suddenly very limited, they would never be able to possess Harry without his permission, but the benefits weren’t something to sneeze at. Chara now had some control over Harry’s raw accidental magic, protection of Harry’s mind (which was now essentially Chara’s home base), and no fear of losing themselves in rage. _Well,_ they thought to themselves, _this is different… I like it._

\--Home is where the semi-magical-spirit with demonic leanings naps in their spare time—

            Harry felt incredibly dizzy when he woke up. His head felt heavier but his chest oddly light. Like he didn’t have to worry about something anymore. But these feelings weren’t important to a freak. What was important was that Harry appeared to be laying on someone. _He was touching someone_. He shot off of the stranger’s chest and stilled himself. _No one likes hear your complaints, freak._ Apologies fell from his lips rapidly.

            “ _I’msosorry,ididn’tmeanit!I’msorry,sosorry—_ “

            “Hey, it’s okay, cutie. I didn’t even notice you were there! I’m Frisk.” Harry froze and looked at the tall teen kneeling down at his height. Frisk held out a hand and smiled softly, eyes almost perpetually half-closed. Harry wasn’t sure if Frisk was a boy or a girl with the uneven bob framing their face and a baggy blue and purple sweatshirt. Their skin wasn’t the same paleness of Harry’s, more naturally tanned, almost yellow in the soft lighting of wherever they were. Hesitantly, he reached out and shook Frisk’s hand.

            “I-I’m Harry Potter, it’s nice to meet you Frisk.” _even freaks have to have manners_. Frisk grinned a crooked smile and stood up to their full height. Harry wasn’t sure how to ask what gender Frisk was without being rude, se he put the question to the side for now.

            “It’s my pleasure, Harry. Come on, let’s see if we can find a way out of here.” Frisk held out their hand for Harry to hold. Something in him seemed to freeze and relax at that.

_Go on ahead, Harry. This dork would never hurt you. You can trust them._

            Harry wasn’t sure if it was a good thing for him to be hearing voices in his head, but something deep inside him seemed to be okay with it. _Just another part of being a freak_.

_You’re not a freak, Harry. Now hurry up, kid. Frisk is starting to get worried._

            Harry was jolted out of his thoughts and looked back up at Frisk, who really did look worried. _… do they not know I’m a freak?_ But Harry took Frisk’s hand anyway, a little shocked at how warm it felt, that little gesture. Harry wasn’t even eye level with Frisk’s chest, so he felt rather small next to them. It was quiet as Frisk led him to the next room where a bright yellow flower stood with a smile on its face. Harry was absolutely shocked. The flower seemed to be equally shocked but quickly recovered.

            “Howdy, I’m Flowey! Flowey the Flower! You two seem… new here, aren’t ‘cha?” Flowey gave a have wave and bobbed in place for a moment, “Well someone needs to show you how things work around here, I guess little ole me will have to do!” Flowey gave a cheery wink and world seemed to fade away. Harry gripped Frisk’s hand harder as a strange sensation welled up in his chest. A cartoon heart seemed to come out of his chest. It was small and a soft pink color. It seemed scuffed up and slightly dim, though there was a small dark red spot on the upper right part. It seemed to move as he did in this strange floating place. Frisk had a bright red heart in front of them.

            Below him and Frisk was… video game text?

**Frisk: LV 1                                        Harry Potter: LV 1**

**HP:20                                                             HP:20**

            Flowey chuckled a little before continuing. “That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being! LV stands for LOVE! Right now, you’re pretty weak, and to fix that, you need more LOVE! Down here, LOVE is shared with ‘friendliness pellets’! Go ahead and move around, I can share!” white pellets soared through the air and towards them. Part of him really wanted to get some… _love sounds really nice._

_I wouldn’t let those hit you, Harry. Just do as Frisk does and you’ll be fine._

            Harry listened and watched as Frisk avoided the white pellets, carefully dragging Harry out of the way as well. Flowey seemed angry for a brief moment.

            “H-Hey, you missed! You want to become stronger right? RUN INTO THE BULL—friendliness pellets!” Flowey quickly corrected himself. _I guess I really don’t want this kind of love…_

            When Frisk and Harry avoided the next round of bullets Flowey practically exploded in anger. He wasted no time in surrounding the two with a circle of bullets that quickly hit their targets. Harry had never experienced this kind of pain before. It was quick and piercing and seemed to shake him to his core… to his SOUL. He cried out and clung to Frisk as his health approached zero. When it reached one Flowey stopped and began talking again.

            “YOU IDIOTS! WHO WOULD PASS UP SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY? IN THIS WORLD, IT’S KILL OR _BE_ KILLED!” Before he could make that final hit he paused in shock as a ball of fire materialized and flew towards Flowey, knocking him away. It was a large… feminine goat? Harry was shaking, his eyes watering up even though he knew he wasn’t supposed to cry.

            “Such a wretched creature, harming such poor innocent youths. I am Toriel, keeper of the ruins. Allow me to guide you through the catacombs.” Toriel was about to move on, but Harry’s sniffles stopped her. “My child, you are injured! Come here, allow me to heal you.” Frisk put a supporting arm around Harry’s shoulders and the two came close to Toriel. Their Souls went back where they belonged as a tingling feeling swept through Harry and he instantly felt better.

            “T-Thank you, Ms. Toriel.” Harry said shyly and Toriel seemed to blush. Frisk smiled at Toriel.

            “Yeah, thanks for the _magic_ touch, Toriel. I’m Frisk and this is Harry.” Toriel giggled a little and Harry couldn’t help but stare in wonder for a moment. Toriel was very pretty, though she seemed to have stepped right out of one of those shows that the Dursleys refused to let Dudley watch because they had _magic_. That word that was forbidden because it was… unnatural. _But… Toriel was so nice, she helped us… if she’s magic then maybe… maybe magic wasn’t as bad as the Dursleys made it seem._

_Your relatives were… crappy people, Harry. There weren’t many things that they were actually right about. Including you._

            For a brief moment, Harry let himself believe the strange voice inside his head. It filled him with LOVE… but not the kind Flowey was trying to give. Harry let Frisk lead him as Toriel told them about the ruins. How there were puzzles that were used as door keys. He had never had this… people who were willing to hold his hand. To take the time to explain something to him, not because they didn’t think he wouldn’t understand, but because they honestly wanted him to know.

            With every step that Frisk held his hand and Toriel gently steered them through the ruins, Harry felt a sense of warmth rush through him. When Toriel showed them the dummy to practice with, Harry was a little nervous to have his Soul out again, but gave into the small challenge that Frisk presented him with.

            “C’mon, Harry. Let’s see who can flirt with the dummy better.”

            “W-What?”

            “Yeah, like this!” Frisk turned towards the dummy and grinned. “Come here often?” Harry blushed heavily. He had overheard one…pick up line, but he really didn’t want to have to say it. After a slightly tense moment, Harry finally stuttered out—

            “How do you like your tea? I hope it’s hot and British~!” Harry felt his face practically catch on fire as Frisk began to laugh and the… battle ended. Harry wasn’t entirely sure if he was around very good role models anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, well, this is going to be fun. As long as I try and avoid the burning questions of where and how the underground was made and ignore how fucked up the timeline will look like on paper, I think I can do this. Also, I... i'm not sure how it came to this, but I can see now that Frisk will be a very interesting influence on Harry... Oh, right, I promised to explain my color choice!
> 
> Okay, so you know how the prophecy was all about how Harry (or Neville) would defeat Tom by a power "he knows not?" well, in the end of the series, it's literally because Harry destroys all his horcruxes and manages to fake his death... more or less. The only reason he survived, and succeeded in 'faking' his death was because of love. Yeah, cheesy, but it was Lily's sacrifice that saved Harry the first time (and many times after that) and beyond sheer dumb luck for the rest. The last part was because Draco's mother lied to Tom about Harry being dead. /Love/. I mean, considering his attitude in the series, I didn't want to have his Soul be orange (jesus, the kid nearly dies so many times, and that's when he just stumbles into conflict. Not seeking it out.) and I think we all know that Harry doesn't embody justice or patience. He was really laid back to be integrity (and I like to think that the reason Britain is so screwed up is because magic tends to make lighter colored Souls and integrity is a darker shade than patience. Like, Luna would probably be patience. God knows the ministry wouldn't have many with integrity). I also really liked the dichotomy of Harry and Tom. How it was their choices that made them so different. That and, according to JK Rowling, Tom can't feel love because he was conceived under the effects of a love potion. So, everything Harry is, is literally the 'power he knows not'. Tom was all about Determination (he sure as hell wasn't patience or kindness). I almost chose Kindness, but perhaps when Tom's Soul splinter is taken out of his Soul he may shift between pale green and pale pink. I mean, he is kind, for the most part.
> 
> And it may have been a joke on my part because the fandom either has Harry as a badass that can't be beat or a pretty boy. All delicate and fragile. Does that stop me from reading girly Harry Potter? Hell no. But it does make me laugh. Like, a lot. Anyway, I've talked enough. Enjoy my attempt to not write Harry Potter/Undertale crack!


	3. In Which Harry Feels Very Much At Home

Harry felt that Ms. Toriel was very… motherly. She acted kind of like Aunt Petunia does around Dudley. _But he was a freak. Did Ms. Toriel know that she was acting affectionate to him?_

_Of course she knows. She’s a really good mom. She loves all children. You’ll see._

            He put this worry away as Ms. Toriel led them by hand over a large row of spikes. Her warm… paw enveloped Harry’s small hand while Frisk gently held his other hand. That warm feeling returned in his chest. It was probably just his imagination that Ms. Toriel’s grip seemed to linger on his before ushering them to the next room. Before they could even follow the world faded away and they entered another battle. It was a large green frog of some kind with swirly patterns of light green all over.

_It’s a Froggit… he doesn’t seem to know why he’s here._

            Did the… Froggit not mean to do that? Frisk was quick to the draw.

            “I’d ask if I could kiss you, but you’re already a prince in my eyes!” Frisk looked at Harry in expectation. Harry did not want to flirt with the frog. He didn’t want to flirt with anyone, really.

_Spoil sport._

            “Uh…frogs are really cool!”

_Uh… nice. Froggit doesn’t seem to understand you, but blushes anyway._

            Before they could do anything else, Ms. Toriel slid into view and glared at Froggit, who quickly fled.

            “I am sorry, my children. Are you alright?” Harry and Frisk nodded. “Very well then… I am sorry to ask this of you, but I’d like you to cross this next room on your own. I am sorry!” and Ms. Toriel was gone, leaving Harry and Frisk alone in a quiet room. _Well, I sort of expected this… but so soon—_

_Don’t worry, Harry. You haven’t been abanonded! I promise! Frisk is still with you, and so am I._

_Great. Well, at least I’ll always have a mysterious voice inside my head to keep me company._

_Chara. The ‘mysterious voice’ is called Chara._

_Oh… well, it’s nice to meet you, Chara._

_Nice to meet you too, kid._

“Well, we better get started, right Harry?” Frisk asked quietly, breaking Harry of his thoughts.

            “Oh! Right. Yeah, let’s go.” So the two walked across the room in no time at all. When Ms. Toriel came out from behind a pillar, Harry was shocked. _She didn’t abandon us?_

_Told you so. Now pay attention, she’s about to explain!_

            “Wonderful job! I did not mean to trick you, my children, but I had to test your independence! You see, I need to run a few errands, and I wanted to be sure you’d do alright on your own for a while!” Ms. Toriel pulled out a phone and gave it to Frisk, who accepted it with a knowing smile, “Here is a phone so you can call if you wish. You may stay in this next room while you wait. It’s perfectly safe!” Ms. Toriel said as they walked into the next room. It was rather large and indeed, there was no danger in sight.

            “We’ll be fine, Toriel. Don’t worry.” Frisk said pleasantly as Ms. Toriel looked uncertain for a moment before reluctantly moving forward. Harry awkwardly held Frisk’s hand for several moments. Frisk giggled slightly before tugging Harry’s hand. “Psst… Harry, how about we explore some?”

            Harry was shocked. You _never_ disobeyed an order. _Ever_.

            “B-But, Ms. Toriel said that we had to stay here!”

_Technically, she didn’t. Besides, you don’t need to worry about M—Toriel being mad. She’s very understanding._

            “Don’t worry, cutie pie. We’ll just surprise her by meeting up a little earlier than intended!” Frisk proclaimed happily before heading into the room to the left. Not wanting to be left behind, Harry dashed forward and grabbed Frisk’s hand again. _If Frisk was anything like Aunt Petunia, I would have been smacked by now for touching them…_

            As Frisk inspected the candy bowl Harry shuffled on his feet a little. He really wanted to know, but wasn’t entirely sure how to ask. Delicately, Frisk took two candies and gave one to Harry before pocketing their own piece. Harry put it away before looking up at Frisk in curiosity. Frisk tilted their head to the side in confusion.

            “F-Frisk… are you… um… I was wondering…” Frisk smiled softly and ruffled his hair patiently, “ _Areyouaboyoragirl,I’msosorrytoask!It’sreallyrudeofme!_ ” Frisk laughed a little.

_I think I’d be more amazed if they understood that more than anything._

            “Haha, I almost didn’t catch that!” Frisk noticed how unsure Harry was, “Hey, it’s okay to ask. It’s not rude or anything… I’m actually neither.” Harry looked up in shock. “I’m _agender_ which means that I don’t identify as a girl _or_ a boy. I even prefer they/them pronouns.” Frisk seemed to wait a long moment for Harry’s reaction.

_Uh,,,kid. Harry, you’re supposed to say something here…_

            To be honest, that sounded a lot like something Uncle Vernon would hate vehemently. Uncle Vernon didn’t like a lot of different people. But Harry…Harry was kind of amazed.

            “ _That’s amazing! I didn’t know you could choose!_ ” stars seemed to shine in his eyes and Frisk almost took a step back before laughing.

            “Hah, yeah! It’s kind of confusing to explain all of it, but if you’re curious, I think we have _time_.” Frisk seemed really amused with themselves at that.

            “Um… if it’s alright with you…” Frisk laughed and they began to make their way through.

            “Okay, so you know how there’s a gradient scale of black and white? Well, imagine the male gender on one side and…” Harry listened, enraptured with Frisk’s explanations that were occasionally interrupted by a battle, Ms. Toriel calling, or Frisk openly wondering how a puzzle was solved.

_You lay down with the Moldsmal and feel like you understand the world a little better._

_The Whimsum ran away before you could say anything._

_I forgot how tedious a Pacifist run was…oh! Just ignore me, Harry. Hehe…_

            “Hello, my children! Are you still in the room? There are some puzzles I have yet to explain up ahead…” Harry looked at Frisk in panic but they just winked at him and laughed.

            If Harry hadn’t been so distracted with learning, he would have noticed how Frisk already knew where to go and how to solve the puzzles they came by. He also wouldn’t have asked this question of Ms. Toriel.

            “Can I call you mom?” Harry froze after his question, his heart pounding loudly.

            “If that is what you wish, Harry.” And he couldn’t believe it. Such a question would have _definitely_ earned him a smack back home.

_Your old home sucks, Harry… you know. You don’t have to return to the Dursleys. They did leave you behind… you could just stay with mom and Frisk._

            Harry put away that thought as his chest swelled with warmth. He absently shook his head as Frisk looked at him about having an allergy. _Spider Bake Sale?_ Frisk smiled and took his hand as they entered a room with cobwebs. There, on the spider webs, were signs listing two products and a price for each.

            “Amazing!” Harry whispered as he crouched down to look at the Spider Donut on display.

            “You not afraid of spiders, Harry?” Harry absently shook his head.

            “No, there were a few spiders in my cupboard back home. They were very nice… can we buy some, Frisk?” Frisk ruffled Harry’s hair and smiled.

            “Sure thing, cutie. Let’s see here… a Spider Donut and Spider Cider each. That sound alright?” Harry nodded, ignoring the small voice in the back of his mind. _Don’t ask people to waste money on a freak like yourself._

            _Enjoy the spider products, Harry. You earned it by now._

            Harry dropped a few extra gold pieces on a spider web as a tip.

            “Thanks for the food, spiders!” he called out to the excited creatures. The spiders, for their part, were overjoyed that the human child had given them a tip. In fact, they sent a telegram all the way to Muffet in the Hotlands about a cute human child with green eyes.

            “Frisk… is that a ghost pretending to be asleep?” Harry asked in confusion. Frisk laughed a little.

            “Looks like it, but he’s kind of in the way.”

            “ZZZZZ…are they gone yet? ZZZZZZZ.” The white blob seemed to say. Frisk patted Harry’s back encouragingly.

            “Go ahead, Harry. See if you can get him to ‘wake’ up.” Harry nodded nervously and gently patted the strange ghost on the head.

            “I’m sorry to wake you, but can you move over a little, sir?”

            The resulting battle gave Harry the impression that Nabstablook was a lot like himself. Painfully shy and not wanting to bother anyone, but also really wanting a friend. Frisk, on the other hand, was in their element.

            “Hey, Nabs, why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side! What do you call a ghost that you date? Your _boo_.” Harry’s face was on fire.

_Haha, that last one was actually pretty good!_

            “Sorry, not really feeling up to it right now…” Nabs said as no attacks came, though he seemed to be smiling. “Hey, can I show you something?” Nabs said nervously as tears floated upwards and made a white top hat. “I call it _Dapper_ blook.” Harry and Frisk applauded Nabstablook, who smiled happily. “I usually come to the ruins to be alone, but I met some really nice people today…” and with that he floated up and out.

            By the time they made it to the large tree surrounded by red leaves, Harry felt a lot lighter and quite…happy. _I asked questions, and didn’t get hit! Frisk let me hold their hand and didn’t get mad! I think… I think I like it here…_ the unpleasant memories of his relatives began to fade, along with the pain they brought.

            “Oh! My children, how did you get here? I had intended to surprise you, but I suppose it was irresponsible of me to just leave you behind like that.”

            “Surprise?” Harry quietly asked, Frisk seemed a little shocked that Harry had spoken up like that.

            “Ah, yes. I believe it is useless to hide it from you now. Come along, let me show you around your new home.” Toriel… _mom_ grabbed Harry’s other hand and guided them into the cute little house. A sparkle in the leaf pile outside caught his attention.

_The warm and accepting atmosphere of mom’s house fills you with Love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we're already seeing some changes, aren't we? I have a feeling that Harry isn't going to enjoy fighting with Toriel very much. Ha, by the way, has anyone wondered who the narrator is yet? I mean, I haven't quite decided yet, but there are quite a few interesting options, don't you think?
> 
> Oh, and thanks RevieWriter for that /tense/ correction *budam-tish*. I did feel like that was better. My other story has a beta, who happens to live with me, but so far I've been tempting them into reading this story with the promise of fluff and angst and entertainment. So all this is without a beta. I also really appreciate the in depth review and what you thought about the narration. I love getting comments about people liking my story, but I absolutely /adore/ helpful comments that correct typos and mistakes as well!
> 
> Enjoy!


	4. In Which Toriel is a Mum, Frisk is Off, and Harry Is AWOL

Toriel had, naturally, already prepared a room for the two human children she now had in her care. The tall child named Frisk looked so very much like her long-deceased child that Asgore and her adopted so very long ago. Well, their expression was different, for sure, but that spark of Determination was clear for all to see. Harry, on the other hand, was very different.

            He was very polite and small, though he didn’t wear a striped shirt, she supposed that human fashion was a bit different. A strange fashion that dictated children wear baggy, ill-fitting clothing. His hair was a peculiar shade of black and looked as though a battle had taken place among his raven locks. Vivid green eyes were slightly obscured by a pair of rather ugly glasses. He seemed to be struggling between wanting to run around and stare at the world in wonder and hide in a corner safe and sound. She was quick to lead him to the room for a quick nap when he yawned widely and rubbed at his face.

            There was a moment of shock with Toriel and Frisk as Harry brushed his bangs away from his forehead. Toriel and Frisk were both reminded of a lighting strike across the darkened sky as they looked at Harry’s scar. It stretched from his hairline to just at the bridge of his nose in a pale branching crack across his skin. With his shaggy bangs and his tendency of looking down, they hadn’t even noticed. But in that split moment, they could clearly see the scar that stood out on his pale skin. They both felt a strange tremor run through them, as though there was something oddly sinister about it. It looked as though someone had tried to split little Harry’s head open at one point but thankfully failed.

            But before they could even comment Harry yawned again and Toriel quickly tucked him in. Harry seemed oddly touched at having a room and mumbled something so softly that Toriel barely caught it.

            _“Never had a room of my own before… only the cupboard… freaks don’t get bedrooms…_ ”

            Frisk awkwardly shuffled their feet as Harry was gently tucked in. Toriel turned towards them and smiled.

            “Do you wish to sleep as well, my child?” thoughts flashed through their head. Harry was so small… the underground was so big… perhaps he should stay with mom? Frisk shook their head anyway and smiled.

            “No, I’m alright. I was going to explore a little more while the pie cools, mom. If that’s alright with you…” Toriel flashed a bright smile.

            “But of course, the ruins, while not entirely safe, are clearly no trouble for you… is something burning? Uh, please be safe, my child!” Toriel quickly dashed off to the kitchen and Frisk chuckled a little. They wanted to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere a little longer, at least until Harry woke up again.

\--With every new encounter, something inside us changes.—

            _Harry floated in a vast and empty space. It seemed quiet and without end._

_“Hey, Harry.”_

_Looking over, he saw someone that could have passed for Frisk’s twin, though he recognized the voice. Chara had a lighter skin tone and ruby red eyes, their hair was even a milk chocolate brown. They seemed to be smiling softly at him._

_“Oh, Chara!... where are we?”_

_“This is your mind… a little empty, but I think we can fix that. I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to reflect where you feel safest, but considering where you grew up…” The area briefly flashed to the cramped cupboard that he previously slept in before settling on the comforting image of his new mum’s home. Or rather, the room he was sleeping in at that very moment._

_“What are you doing here?”_

_“Where better for a ‘mysterious voice’ to live, than inside your head?”_

_“Is… is this real? I mean, is this this just all in my head?” Chara laughed and ruffled his hair._

_“Why can’t it be both?” Chara led him to the bed where they both sat down, “Harry, listen, I wanted to go over some things with you… the monsters you encountered today… they were rather different from people you usually met, aren’t they?”Chara gently brushed a hand through is hair, a more soothing gesture than a grooming one. A shadowy image of Vegatoid appeared before him. “Monsters are really weird… they_ care _for others, and not always in the way you expect. Like, this one just wants to feed people healthy food.” Lookit gently replaced Vegatoid, “To be friends… to not be bullied.” Whimsum appeared, “To be braver, perhaps, and to get to know you.” a Migosp appeared, “To be themselves…” A Froggit leapt around, “Well, to understand probably…” Nabstablook with his top hat appeared, “To be alone… only to meet a new friend.” and a Moldsmal then took his place, “Okay… I’ll be honest with you, I’m not entirely sure what a Moldsmal wants, but it probably involves deep contemplation of the universe… the point I’m trying to make… do you see it, Harry?”_

 _Harry thought long and hard. Why_ would _Chara show him the different monsters he encountered? They were so very_ different _… just like him. Chara leaned down and embraced Harry._

 _“What I’m trying to say Harry, is that you’re different too, and that you don’t have to be afraid. Different doesn’t mean bad… just not the same.” A small hurt deep inside his Soul eased as a small seed of understanding began to bloom. “You’re not a freak, Harry Potter… You’re just full of_ Love _.”_

\--Sometimes it’s the most broken people that have the best advice about being whole again.—

            While Frisk cheerfully explored the Ruins once more, Toriel carefully set the Cinnamon Butterscotch Pie out to cool. Her mind kept replaying what Harry had said. It had been a very long time since the Barrier had went up, but even back then… _wasn’t a cupboard supposed to be a small storage space?_ Well, it hardly mattered now. Harry and Frisk have a home _here_. Where… _people_ don’t harm innocent creatures… or make them sleep in small storage areas. Neither of them were returning to their human… ‘relatives’ if that kind of behavior was acceptable. If someone happened to come down to make them return… well…

\-- **Fight me, lowly… _creatures_ … I dare thee.**\--

            By the time Frisk returned, Harry was sitting on mom’s lap while she read him a book about snails. Frisk smiled for a moment about how gently mom encouraged Harry to read along with her.

            “Harry, my child, I must say… your voice is very peculiar… I’ve never heard an accent quite like it. And your pronunciation is very good, perhaps you can read this next part to me?” Harry blushed and looked down before timidly speaking up.

            “ _Some_ _snails_ _have_ _been_ _known_ _to_ _live_ _up_ _to_ _fifteen_ _years_ … wow, mum, is that true?” he looked up at mom’s softly smiling face.

            “I should think so, considering this book is _72 Interesting Facts About Snails_ , as opposed to _72 Lies About Snails_ … though that would be a very interesting book… ah, Frisk, you’ve returned!” Harry looked up and gasped in excitement, quickly squirming out of mom’s lap. Frisk opened their arms for the warm embrace Harry gave them.

            “Hey, cutie! What’ve ya been up to?” Harry grinned in excitement.

            “Mum was telling me about snails! Earlier, she talked about the Barrier! And before that, she gave me a whole piece of pie! _A whole piece!_ All to myself!” Frisk laughed a little and ruffled Harry’s already messy hair.

            “Yes, we were just getting to fact number twenty three about snails… would you care to join us?” A small tremor ran through Frisk… they would have loved to, but they had tried to stay before. It lasted a week before the world Reset itself. They didn’t want to risk taking away Harry’s happiness by staying. It takes a while to go through the underground, as long as they make progress _eventually_ the world should stay the same… for as long as it is capable.

            “Actually, I was wondering if there was a way to exit the ruins.” Mom went still, though Harry didn’t notice.

            “Ah, please remain here, there is something I must attend to.” Frisk knew what was going to happen now. They had to follow, or the world would just Reset within ten minutes. When mom left the room, Frisk kneeled down to look at Harry.

            “Harry, I’m about to do something kind of dangerous, but I want you to stay here…” this was harder than they thought it would be, but they were filled with Determination, “Everything will be alright. I promise. Stay here, okay?” Harry looked at Frisk in confusion.

            “W-What do you mean, Frisk?” Frisk smiled softly and shook their head.

            “It’s nothing. I’m going to make sure mom’s okay. Why don’t you read ahead a little bit to surprise mom? Try to think of a pun… trust me.” and with that Frisk left Harry with the book on snails…

\--Frisk always was a little too nice…--

            About twenty minutes later, when mum returned with tears on her muzzle, Harry knew something had happened.

            “Mum? Where’s Frisk?” she quickly wiped away at her eyes.

            “Do not worry, my child… they will be fine. Outside the ruins is very cold, but they’re—they’re wearing a sweater, so it’ll be alright!” Harry quickly ran up and hugged mum, trying desperately to reassure her, but there was a growing idea in Harry’s head.

_…They’ll need a jacket, won’t they, Harry?_

            He tried not to notice how hesitant Chara was to provide that flimsy excuse. When Mum tucked him into bed, he pretended to fall asleep, and waited a few minutes until he heard her go to bed too. By the time she would wake up in the morning, Harry would be gone, as well as two jackets and scarves with only a note on his pillow.

_Sorry for the shell shock! I’ll be alright, mum! I just wanted to make sure Frisk didn’t get sick! Be right back, quicker than a snail!_

_Harry, oozing back soon!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, snail puns are hard...
> 
> Anyway, as a reference to the whole "harry's scar is like a literal bolt of lighting" just check here: http://underbree.tumblr.com/post/99859001570/mercurial-spirit-rainbowrites
> 
> Ha, Harry will be a bit late to the party, but expect Sans and Papyrus soon! Oh, and Harry doesn't know about the Soul part of the Barrier, yet.
> 
> You guys make me laugh though. Like, i'm sorry, but if you wanted smol child to be left in the happy corner, you came to the wrong place. That's not to say Harry will be left in the sad chair of sorrows or anything, but he might detour near it sometime in the future. Shit will happen, but not most of the cannon Undertale stuff... or Harry Potter shit if Toriel has anything to say about it. Expect the whole "can we please just protect the smol?" theme to spread, btw. Like, it'll take the skele-bros a bit, but once they're on board... Say, when do you guys think Harry will slip and do accidental magic? Cause I have a plan, but you guys have pretty solid opinions out there. Very good point about Toriel probably not actually letting a small child just go roaming about the underground with a bunch of trigger happy monsters looking for Souls...
> 
> And it's my personal headcannon that Undyne and Alphys would be the first ones to be suspicious of Harry's backstory. Like "Dead parents? Supposedly drunk? Strange scar and hateful relatives? /I smell secret backstory/... /I smell anime plot/..."
> 
> Anyway, Enjoy!


	5. In Which 'Sans'-sational Meetings Occur and Mum Has Yet to Notice Harry's Gone

Sans knew something was different the moment Frisk shook his hand. They were sad but Determined, which wasn’t unusual in and of itself, but he didn’t know why since their hands weren’t dusty in the least. It was before the infamous ‘color’ puzzle that he felt it. Someone else had exited the ruins. It couldn’t be Toriel, it takes a bit longer for her to recover from the emotional heartache of the battle with Frisk. Quickly, he warped back to his spot where he would normally watch Frisk approach the bridge. There, walking down the path, was a large coat… no, wait, there was a mop of crazy black hair poking out of the purple scarf. It seemed to be… a human child, much shorter than Frisk, and the jacket almost hid the kid entirely. There also seemed to be an extra jacket in their arms.

            Now, there were a few moments Sans enjoyed repeating, especially when Frisk didn’t immediately recall the previous Resets. Carefully stalking them from the path and scaring them with a whoopee cushion happened to be one of them. So, it was this mischievous decision that led to where Harry was now. Trying not to run wildly away from the faint footsteps he heard behind him. The jacket was a bit too big for him to be running anywhere, but he couldn’t find it in himself to regret wearing it since it was so cold out. How it was snowing _underground_ , Harry wasn’t really sure.

            He was just about to walk across the bridge when he heard it.

            “H U M A N,  D O N ‘ T  Y O U  K N O W  H O W  T O  G R E E T  A  F R I E N D?” Harry froze, his heart pounding in his ears, “T U R N  A R O U N D  A N D  S H A K E  M Y  H A N D…” Shaking slightly at the intimidating tone of the stranger, Harry turned around and blindly reached out. His hand clasped a strangely bony grip and the sound of… a deuce? His eyes popped open and the strangest sight greeted him.

            There, standing before him, was a skeleton in a blue parka with a white fur trim and a white shirt loosely hanging on their frame, showing just a little bit of the sternum and neck bones. He also seemed to be wearing black basketball shorts and… slippers… fuzzy pink slippers. It wasn’t exactly a human skeleton. Not that Harry was an expert in such things, but there was a picture of a skeleton in his classroom one year. The skull seemed to be perpetually grinning, though somehow amused, and the teeth seemed to be sharper. The eye sockets were completely black with white pinpricks of light. The hand he was shaking seemed more claw-like than a benign hand. Not that the skeleton was completely terrifying. In fact, if anything, the monster skeleton seemed to be oddly baby-faced. As though, if this skeleton was a human, it would look more like a lazy neighbor that cracks jokes rather than anything else. But not like Dudley was, there seemed to be a more friendly air to the monster skeleton than overweight bully. The skeleton was also really tall, well, taller than Harry for sure. Frisk would probably be just to the jaw bone. Harry was just about eyelevel with the waist.

            While Harry was taking in Sans, Sans was also taking in the sight of Harry. The kid was, in short, absolutely adorable. All bundled up in the purple and white stripped jacket with the deep purple scarf. The crazy head of black hair was everywhere and big green eyes were wide in shock behind kind of ugly black frames. It sort of reminded him of Paps when he was still a baby bones and more susceptible to the cold. His sharp eye-sockets picked up the faint discoloration hiding just behind his bangs, between his eyes, and he suspected there was a scar there. A faint, unsettling feeling crawled down his spine, sort of like when he talks with Frisk one last time before a Reset only to greet Chara instead with dust thick in the air around them. Then he became aware that they had both been looking at each other for a while now.

            “hehe… the old whoopee cushion prank, works every time… i’m sans. sans the skeleton. you’re a human, aren’t you?” he paused for a moment and chuckled. The kid seemed to snap out of it and blush.

            “Y-Yeah… I’m Harry Potter, nice to meet you Sans. I’m actually looking for another human. They left the ruins a while ago, their name is Frisk, did you see them?” Before Harry could ramble on any further, Sans shifted. He wasn’t sure what to think… this had _never_ happened before. _Was different good or bad¸_ Sans wondered to himself.

            “yep. they’re actually about to face my brother right now. he’s a human hunting _fanatic_.” Harry’s face twisted in worry.

            “W-Why is your brother hunting humans?” Sans blinked, an odd sight for Harry since the whole eye socket literally closed, the bony brow creasing between the eye sockets.

            “ya mean you don’t know, kid? monsters can break the barrier with seven human souls… personally, i’m not interested in hunting humans but—kid, you okay?” Harry seemed on the brink of tears.

            “Y-You mean your brother’s going to kill Frisk?! M-M-Mum never told me about that! I-I j-j-just wanted to give them a j-jacket… since it would be c-cold! P-Please m-mister Sans! D-Don’t l-l-let your brother kill Frisk!” green eyes welled up with tears and Sans instantly felt horrible.

**You feel your sins crawling on your back.**

            Sans quickly tried soothing the kid. He couldn’t handle it when kids cried. It always reminded him of when he went a little too far when pranking Papyrus when they were baby bones. He had nightmares about the crawling of his sins for _that_ to this day.

            “hey, hey, hey! my brother isn’t dangerous, i… shi—shoot, kid! i’m sorry about that, didn’t mean to upset you! make no _bones_ ‘bout that! shh…shh…” he quickly set about running his hand through the thick black hair. Tiny arms clutched his jacket and the kid calmed down quickly.

            “R-Really?” Sans gave a calming hum. Son of a Gaster Blaster, he did not expect that. Harry must be a _whole lot_ younger than Frisk to cry so easily… well, the first few runs were kind of like this, but… jesus. _quick, sans, think of something before the kid cries again!_

            “uhuh… in fact, i know a short cut. when we get there, don’t talk. frisk should be there, but i think it would be fun to surprise my brother later. he’d be ecstatic to meet _two_ humans in one day.” he adjusted Harry’s scarf so that the kid’s face was mostly hidden. Like this, the kid looked more like a heavily dressed furry monster of some sort. That should work. He held out his hand for the kid and felt a warm tremor when Harry looked up at him in awe. The small hand gingerly clasped his own. “hey, kid, don’t worry about breaking me. the only think that breaks these old bones are puns.” Harry looked confused for a moment before quietly asking him the one question he never saw coming.

            “So… you’re a _pun_ -ster? A skele- _pun_ - _pun-_ ster? Eh, I guess that was a little _fractured_ , wasn’t it?” Sans could almost feel the heat of Harry’s face, “Sorry… that wasn’t a very good pun.” Sans felt his grin widen.

            “oh, kid, i’d say you’re after my own heart, but i don’t have one. this is going to be a _pun_ -tastic _thyme_. I can already tell!” he chuckled at the amazed look Harry sent him as he tugged the kid through a ‘shortcut’.

\--Funny thing, memories. Even if they aren’t actually relevant, they can still change our actions of today.—

            It was with Determination and a great deal of sadness that Frisk carried on through the familiar routine of solving Papyrus’s puzzles. In fact, they were just coming up on what was almost their favorite puzzle. The colorful tiles that Alphys designed. Frisk still wasn’t sure if it was Alphys’ doing or Sans that it would ultimately fail. Well, they were pretty sure it wasn’t Papyrus, at least, judging by the fact that he always went crazy-eyed and spun away like a top when it just made a clear path. But something was different this time.

            Sans was standing next to Papyrus, same as always, but he seemed to have a strange… bundle of fabric next to him. Frisk was suspicious when they saw a burst of vaguely familiar hair coming from the opening of the scarf. What was even more surprising was the fact that the jacket creature seemed to be clasping Sans’ hand.

            “SANS! WHILE I AM GLAD YOU HAVE MADE THE EXTREME EFFORT OF BRANCHING OUT, I AM WOUNDED THAT YOU DID NOT MENTION YOUR TINY FRIEND BEFORE! GREETINGS, SANS MYSTERIOUS NEW FRIEND! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SANS’ TALLER BROTHER!” Frisk couldn’t hear if the ‘mysterious friend’ replied, but they seemed to be in awe at Papyrus’ grand height.

            What Frisk could not know, however, was how incredibly small Harry felt standing in front of ‘Papyrus’. The rambunctious taller brother wore a strange white armor shell to protect his rib cage, as well as red boots and gloves with a rather impressive red scarf. He wasn’t sure how much protection Papyrus was getting from the small blue pants covering the pelvic area, but could clearly see that Papyrus loved every inch of his ‘battle armor’.

            It was strange how different Papyrus looked from Sans. They were both skeletons, sure, but Papyrus was more… long, whereas Sans was more rounded. Sans head probably just reached the strange symbol on Papyrus’ battle armor. He even had the slightly inhuman look, though his teeth weren’t quite as pointy as Sans’ were. Even his eye sockets were different, with no visible pin pricks of light to act as pupils in the narrow holes. But, like Sans, his face seemed to be smiling slightly at all times, though the incredible variety of expression he showed was quite impressive. It was as though his bone structure was made out of slightly chilled clay that he got to play with in arts in crafts one time… well, until Dudley tried to make him eat the clay, that is. The whole class lost clay privileges after that.

            Even their voices seemed quite different, Sans having an even tone throughout and somehow sounding as though he couldn’t care less what happened around him. Well, there was a slight change in his voice when he was stressed, like when Harry accidentally started crying, or when he talked to his brother. But it was easy to miss, somehow. Papyrus’ voice, on the other hand, reached a level that was loud in both volume and tone with excitement. He seemed like the kind of skeleton in those Halloween commercials about staying safe. All over the place and full of energy. Sans voice broke Harry’s concentration.

            “hey, bro. the human’s here.” Papyrus whipped around to face Frisk and grinned. Frisk was a little unsettled at the change of events, but not worryingly so. Somethings never change, after all.

            “MY APOLOGIES, HUMAN! I DID NOT MEAN TO IGNORE YOU! ALLOW ME TO PROCEED WITH THE PUZZLE EXPLANATION!” Papyrus began before quickly going down the list that Frisk still had not memorized entirely. It seemed like just seconds later that Papyrus threw the switch and spun away in frustration at the new puzzle’s lack of difficulty. They quickly stepped across the massive pink space, briefly reminded of Harry back in the ruins with mom.

            “Hey, Sans. Who’s—“ the bundle launched themselves at Frisk, sending the both of them into the snow. “OOF!”

            “Frisk! It’s me, Harry!” Harry’s beaming face poked out of the fabric as proof, “Sans brought me here! Why did you leave if it was so dangerous, Frisk?! Did you know about the barrier and the Souls?!” Frisk smiled softly and embraced Harry.

            “…Yeah, I knew. But this is something that I had to do… say, Harry, how did you convince mom to let you leave?” Harry certainly didn’t _look_ slightly crispy, but Frisk really doubted that mom would have let such a tiny human child leave the safety of the ruins… _unless_ …

            “Um… about that… I may have snuck out to bring you a jacket! I was going to go right back, I swear, but then Sans mentioned the Souls and…” Harry squeezed tighter, “I can’t… I can’t let you go _alone_!” a familiar phrase echoed in Frisk’s mind.

**But nobody came.**

            “Oh, Harry…” Frisk quickly ran through everything they knew was going to happen. _Yeah…. no. Not happening sweetheart_. Frisk looked up at Sans, filled with Determination. Sans seemed startled at the intense expression before understanding what Frisk wanted.

            “well, kid, that’s nice and all but… i guess i’ll just have to go back to being _bonely_ all by my lonesome…” Harry couldn’t see the cunning expression on Sans’ skull, but Frisk could.

            “Oh, that’s right, Sans. Papyrus _has_ been pretty busy lately, and most of your stands aren’t visited often. I mean, I can make the journey easily. Hardly any monsters actually _want_ to fight me, mom was just _really_ worried about my safety. _But_ with this jacket, I think I can handle Snowdin just fine.” Frisk could clearly see the conflicted expression on Harry’s face. He wasn’t entirely swayed just yet, but after Papyrus’ battle, he should see that they had it covered. _If need be,_ Frisk thought, _I’ll call mom until she picks up and have Sans take Harry back to the ruins… he is not going to meet Undyne until_ after _we’re ‘besties’._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Chara is silent as fuck. I took so long to do this, mostly because I wasn't sure how I wanted Sans to look. I mean, I love the cute 'typical' Sans look, but I also really enjoy this picture: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/440297301049039085/
> 
> Like, he's still a skeleton, but he doesn't look like a clothed anatomy prop here. He looks like he could legitimately be a monster. So, I sort of went with both. Oh, personally, I have a vendetta against slippers. Fuckers can't stay on worth a damn. One singular moment of hesitation and BAM, you ain't got no damn shoes. In game, he looks like he wearing something solid white, so either the house shoes (something lazy enough for Sans for sure) are white, sneakers, or he's barefoot. So, i'm assuming that the first 'meet Frisk' day has him in house shoes but otherwise he's in worn sneakers without his laces tied... or just no laces at all, hell if I know. Kind of surprised no one had anything to say about Harry just sneaking off like that. I mean, I expected at least one "noes smol child, stay with goat mom where it's safe!", but I'll just assume it was more like a silent "god damnit, Harry, this is why people assume you look for trouble! You find the /one/ safe place in the underground (with goat mom) and you /leave/! JFC!" Hah, so yeah. I'll see you guys in the next update.
> 
> Enjoy!


	6. Of Puzzles and Gryftrots and THE GREAT PAPYRUS, OH MY!

“oh yeah, kid, i forgot to ask… how old are you? i mean, i know frisk over there is fifteen, but you’re really small and…” Sans wasn’t entirely sure how to continue the question. Harry looked down at himself and scowled. His meager diet meant he was almost a foot shorter than he should be at almost nine.

            “I’m going to be nine at the end of July.” At the slightly confused look on Sans’ face Harry continued, “I think it’s April second today… it’s a little hard to tell underground.” Harry didn’t notice the odd look on Frisk’s face. Sans sure did, but what he couldn’t know was that it was the month that Frisk was confused about… they were sure it was December when they fell into the underground for the first time.

            “well then, squirt, i’ll see you _eight_ -er.” Sans walked up ahead and disappeared from sight. Frisk was quick to grab Harry’s hand at the crestfallen face he made.

            “Don’t worry, we’ll meet up with him again soon. Sans has a tendency to really get around, ya know?” Frisk shifted a little before humming decisively, “Hey, sweetie, what year is it again?” Frisk moved forward and tried to look as casual as possible.

            “It’s 2000, Frisk…” Harry trailed off, unsure if he could ask why Frisk had wanted to know.

            Frisk felt as though the world was spinning. _What? 2000? But I’ve been stuck in a time loop, shouldn’t it still be 1980?_ Frisk felt dread crawl through their spine. _I don’t know what this means, but I have a feeling Sans isn’t going to like it._

\--It’s amazing what magic can do if given a single mistake.—

             It was a little strange skating across ice to complete a puzzle, Harry decided. He had never ice skated before, but he was pretty sure you were supposed to wear skates to slide across the ice.

_It’s probably magic, Harry. Don’t worry about it._

_Oh, hey Chara! You’ve been quiet… I was worried that you had left._

_Nah, it’s a little empty, but the inside of your head is_ really _comfortable._

 _Oh._ Harry wasn’t sure what else to say as Frisk pushed him across the ice to the button. He wasn’t entirely sure if he liked sliding uncontrollably across the ice. Frisk seemed really happy though as they pushed him through the trees and out the other side. His head felt oddly heavy. Frisk began to laugh as Harry looked on in confusion.

            “What?” he heard the distant laughter of Chara in his head as he looked around, snow falling onto his shoulders. “Oh… did I have something on my head?” Chara and Frisk both laughed harder at that. Frisk gently steered him forward, shaking their head.

            “D-Don’t worry about it, sweetie. C’mon. Let’s go right.” They ran into a very strange deer, Harry had never seen it’s like.

_Gryftrot seems to be heavily weighed down with decorations. I don’t think it’s very happy like this…_

            Apparently Frisk had the same idea, because in battle they proceeded to remove the strings of garland, a strange dog, and other odd things from the massive horns. Harry was stuck between laughing at the absurd decoration choices and pity. All those decorations must have been really heavy. The battle ended when Gryftrot seemed much happier and Frisk Spared them. They turned around to see Sans up ahead.

            “Woah, how did he get over there, I didn’t see him before…” Harry turned back the way they came and was surprised to find Sans leaning casually against the wall that way too. Frisk noted how smug Sans began to look as he easily moved from place to place just before Harry could catch him. “Frisk, help! Maybe if you look for me he won’t be there!” Harry whispered in excitement, his eyes trained on Sans. Frisk caught the look Sans gave them and laughed, turning around to see empty space.

            “Wow, Harry, he’s over there too!” Harry gave a soft exclamation before running over to Sans happily.

            “Sans! How did you do that?! That’s so cool!” Sans chuckled and ruffled the already messy mop of hair.

            “do what, kid?” Harry scowled, sending Sans into another round of laughter.

            “Sans!” Frisk laughed and picked up Harry in a side carry.

            “Alright, enough teasing the cherub, Sans. We’ll see you up ahead, okay?” Sans winked at them before walking in away from his next destination. By the time Harry whipped his head around to look at Sans, he was already gone.

            “How does he do that?!”

            “Lazy magic, probably.” Frisk said.

_A horrible misuse of time and space manipulation, probably._

            Harry laughed at the two answers as they walked past a small dog house and a strange amount of snow mounds.

_Snow Poffs, Harry. They’re Snow Poffs. See, this is a Snow Poff… That is a Snow Poff… This too, is a Snow Poff. And this… is a Snow Poff…_

_Chara, what are you--?_

_And this… contains 83 G, what is this?!_

            Harry wasn’t sure if Chara was just messing with him at that point, but didn’t have time to think about it as a small white Pomeranian emerged from a snow pof—pile of snow… a pile of snow.

_Greater Dog bounds forward, flicking slobber everywhere… gross._

Harry froze, unsure how he was supposed to react when the tiny dog head erupted out of the snow in a giant suit of armor. His Aunt Marge had a small dog named Ripper who chased him up a tree one day, and ever since he’d always been really nervous about dogs.

_Don’t worry about it, Harry. Greater Dog just wants to play and be vigorously pet to the maximum capacity!_

            And, to Harry’s surprise, that’s exactly what happened. He didn’t join Frisk at first in petting and playing with the Greater Dog, but after seeing how… nice it was, he timidly pet Greater Dog, who really enjoyed being pet by _two_ humans. Covered in a very respectable amount of dog slobber, Harry and Frisk made their way to a bridge. Halfway across they were stopped by Papyrus with Sans standing next to him.

            “AH, HUMAN, I SEE YOU HAVE MADE IT PAST MY GRAND PUZZLE… um… HUMAN, HAVE YOU, PERHAPS, CLONED YOURSELF? LIKE, A MUCH SMALLER AND VISIBLY DIFFERENT CLONE?” Harry grabbed Frisk's hand and called out to the confused skeleton. Sans was laughing to himself quietly.

            “H-Hello, Papyrus! I’m Harry!”

            “SMALLER HUMAN, YOU DO HAVE QUITE THE AMOUNT OF HAIR ON YOUR HEAD, BUT WHAT IS YOUR NAME, TINY HUMAN?!” Harry wasn’t sure how to answer that. He self-consciously brought a hand to his head.

            “N-No, I mean my name is Harry, H-A-R-R-Y… not… um…not hairy… it’s nice to meet you, Papyrus.” Sans was almost dying, his face a very bright shade of blue.

            “OH! I WAS AFRAID YOU WERE MAKING A PUN, LIKE MY BROTHER HERE, SANS! ANYWAY, I SUPPOSE YOU CAN GO ALONG WITH THIS PUZZLE AS WELL, HARRY!” Papyrus pulled a lever and a very… dangerous variety of things surrounded the bridge. Harry spotted a flame thrower, an axe, a dog, and spikes. A chill went down his spine as he grabbed Frisk’s hand tighter and whimpered a little bit without meaning to. Sans, feeling a familiar crawling sensation, decided that maybe he should push this by a little faster.

            “uh… it’s not looking very activated, bro.” Papyrus looked down at his brother in surprise before turning back to the two humans. He took in the Determined expression of the taller human (did he forget to ask their name? Oops.) and the very frightened expression of tiny Harry. _Oh_ … _well_ _then_. Papyrus thought to himself.

            “UM… THIS TRAP IS FAR TOO EASY FOR THE HUMANS. YES, AWAY WITH THE DEADLY TRAPS… WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME THAT LOOK, TINY HUMAN HARRY? THIS IS JUST ANOTHER DECISIVE VICTORY FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” and so, Papyrus dashed away, clear of conscious and secretly excited to have seen _two_ humans in one day… _but where did Sans’ mysterious friend go to?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I guess it must have been a bit confusing earlier about how old Harry was since I kept referring to him as the same size as a skinny six year old, but he didn't have the most filling diet. Goat Mom is not impressed. I also know nothing of British schedule for school, so I just assumed that somehow, the Dursley's left on vacation at the end of March, giving them a few days for packing and airport shenanigans, before appearing at the beginning of the story here. But now, we all know that Frisk was fifteen in 1980 (the year of canon Harry's birth), Harry will be nine July 31, 2000 (meaning he was born July 31, 1991 if my math is right). Frisk is still technically fifteen, since the time loop always restarted back to that fateful day in December (a reference to the fact that Christmas like celebration seems to be present in Snowdin). And, yeah, Sans is becoming attached to Harry. I guess it's a little easier when Harry is so freaking cute and has yet to have any murderous impulses. He also will not be happy to know exactly what the hell is going on with the time loop, the entire underground, and how magic is in fact, involved. Small fun fact, none of the children fell in order except Chara (as the first) and Frisk (as the last next to Harry). They were all from different time periods in this story (Yellow cowboy kid was actually from the wild western era of the 1800 and blue ballerina kid is actually from the 1930s, but blue fell before yellow in the underground timeline in this story, if that makes sense. Basically, the timeline for the two are mixed up and jumbled as fuck). Not sure how long it's been since the monsters last had a human fall down, but the amount of time passed in the outside world and inside the mountain are phenomenally different. I'm going with three hundred underground years in their funny time bubble. That should be long enough that only three monsters can say for sure what a human looks like without a reference to anime. Those three being Toriel, Asgore, and the old ass turtle dude. Everyone else is all like "Are you a human? Well, i'm pretty sure you ain't a monster! FIGHT ME!"
> 
> Anyway, hopefully your heads don't hurt from all that. Enjoy~!


	7. Chara, Harry's Not Even Legal. Please Stop.

The town of Snowdin was rather small compared to the City next to the ruins and the capitol. It was a rather quaint and charming town. Harry instantly felt welcomed, though it might have had something to do with the giant banner at the entrance to Snowdin. Frisk showed Harry around as though they had been there a hundred times before.

            From the strange ‘Libarby’ to Grillby’s, where a man made from fire cleaned glasses and only sold burgers and fries. They both giggled at the strange voice who admired beautiful knocking and the mailbox that could only belong to Sans. Harry’s favorite place in Snowdin was a tie between the giant tree for some strange monster version of Christmas and Grillby’s. But Snowdin was still quite small, and before long Frisk lead Harry out of town and through thick fog, where Papyrus was waiting. There was something oddly inspiring about the way that Papyrus almost blatantly admitted he wanted to be friends before deflecting it back to them. It almost hurt a little when their hearts popped out and the battle commenced. Frisk, naturally, flirted right off the bat.

            “Hey Papyrus, I love your name, because it has _us_!”

            _Frisk, why are you flirting with Papyrus?!_

“WHAT!? FL-FLIRTING!? SO YOU FINALY REVEAL YOUR ULTIMATE FEELINGS! W-WELL! I’M A SKELETON WITH VERY HIGH STANDARDS!!!”

_Quick, Harry, tell him you can make spaghetti!_

            “I can make spaghetti?” Harry repeated without thinking and was treated with the sight of a very flustered Papyrus.

            “OH NO!!! YOU’RE MEETING ALL MY STANDARDS!!! WAIT, TINY HUMAN HARRY, YOU WISH TO DATE ME AS WELL?!” Papyrus sputtered, “WHAT A TWIST, I AM SO INCREDIBLY POPULAR WITH HUMANS!” Harry quickly scrambled for something to say as Frisk and Chara both laughed at his misery.

            “W-WAIT! I-I mean, I don’t want to date you Papyrus!” Harry frantically thought for some other reason for accidentally flirting, “I-I really look up to you, that’s all!”

_Aw, Harry, you’re no fun!_

            “BUT OF COURSE YOU LOOK UP TO ME! AND NOT JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE VERY SMALL! I AM ‘THE GREAT PAPYRUS’ AFTERALL! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!” _Oh thank god, it worked_ , was Harry’s only thought, but it was very short lived, “BUT WAIT, IF I GO ON A DATE WITH THE HUMAN…” Papyrus looked at Frisk for a long moment.

            “Frisk…” they said breathlessly as they laughed a little harder.

            “YES, FRISK, IF I GO ON A DATE WITH FRISK, IT WOULD BE MOST UNFAIR TO LEAVE YOU HANGING!” Harry tensed up. There was no way this would end well.

_This is going to. Be. Beautiful._

            “THEN IT IS DECIDED! AF-AFTER THIS FIGHT, THERE SHALL BE A DOUBLE DATE! FRISK AND I…. AS WELL AS YOU, HARRY, AND SANS! HE IS NOT THE GREAT PAPYRUS THAT YOU LOOK UP TO, BUT HE IS SECOND BEST, I ASSURE YOU, FOR ALL HIS LAZY TENDENCIES!” Harry couldn’t believe it… _how did he get in this situation… he didn’t want to date anyone… he was eight… why?!_

            The only thing more terrifying for Harry was the strange battle with Papyrus involving jumping over bones.

_Papyrus is wondering what to wear on his date… and if he can get Sans to dress up… Unlikely._

_Careful, Harry! If the bones are blue, just stand still!_

Harry only lost five health before it became ingrained in his head that the peculiar shade of blue in attacks meant to be completely still.

_You know, now that I think about it, he completely forgot that he was supposed to be capturing you. Perhaps the popularity went to his head?_

            The most nerve wracking moment was the slow build up to his ‘special attack’. He was sort of relieved when it ended up being stolen by a strange dog, though he heard a strange music in the background until it disappeared. The ‘really normal attack’ was actually very impressive. Harry was glad that Frisk made sure to grab his hand and jump with him for that. The last bone almost got them.

_Papyrus is Sparing you, but not because he ran out of attacks or anything. Oh wait, that was a little too tsundere. My bad._

            Harry was really wondering if Chara had an off button right then. The battle ended as Frisk Spared Papyrus as well.

            “NYOO HOO HOO… I COMPLETELY FORGOT I WAS SUPPOSED TO CAPTURE YOU IN THE WHIRLWIND ROMANCE THAT YOU INITIATED, FRISK! BUT REGARDLESS, I CAN’T EVEN STOP SOMEONE AS WEAK AS YOU! UNDYNE’S GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED IN ME. I’LL NEVER JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD… AND… MY FRIEND QUANTITY WILL REMAIN STAGNANT!” Papyrus exclaimed as he kneeled in the snow, the fog now cleared out completely. Bemused, but also really sorry for Papyrus, Harry dashed forward and stopped just in front of Papyrus for a moment. He wasn’t sure if Papyrus would be open for a hug, but timidly wrapped his arms around Papyrus’ red scarf anyway.

            “Harry has the right idea… let’s be friends, Papyrus!” Frisk said as they walked up behind Harry. Papyrus swept the two up into an energized embrace. Realizing that his affection was positively received, Harry relaxed.

            “WOWIE!! WE HAVEN’T EVEN HAD OUR FIRST DATE… AND I’VE ALREADY MANAGED TO HIT THE FRIENDZONE!! WHO KNEW THAT ALL I NEEDED TO MAKE PALS WAS TO GIVE PEOPLE AWFUL PUZZLES AND THEN FIGHT THEM?” Frisk and Harry laughed at that, “YOU TAUGHT ME A LOT, FRISK. HARRY. I HEREBY GRANT YOU PERMISSION TO PASS THROUGH! AND I’LL GIVE YOU DIRECTIONS TO THE SURFACE--!”

            “That’s great Papyrus, but first, how about we go on that double date?” Frisk interrupted quickly.

            “WOW! YOU HAVE WONDEROUS PRIORITIES, FRISK! I WILL BE AT MY HOUSE, BUT DON’T WORRY HARRY, I’LL MAKE SURE SANS DRESSES FOR THE OCCASION! COME WHEN YOU ARE READY FOR OUR DATE!” Papyrus set them down and jumped over their heads to make his way back home, leaving a very bemused Frisk and Harry.

            _Oh joyous days…_ Chara laughed really hard when Harry tried to run in the opposite direction, only to be caught by a laughing Frisk.

            “Come on, sweetheart, _we have ourselves a date to get to!_ ” Harry did everything _but_ kick and scream as Frisk easily carried them back to the skeleton brother’s house.

\--Dating… Start?—

            Sans was a little confused as to why Paps insisted he get ready for a date. _This has never happened before… who am I supposed to be dating?_

            The answer came when Frisk was lead inside by Paps with a very red-faced Harry in tow.

            _Uh… isn’t Harry eight? Paps, why are you encouraging me to date an eight year old?_

**You feel your sins crawling on your—**

            _NOPE. NOT DOING IT. SORRY PAPS. SORRY KID. THE BONE ZONE IS CLOSED…closed so hard…_

            “SANS! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO DRESS NICE FOR OUR DOUBLE DATE?!” Sans brushed off his growing unease and smiled at Paps.

            “i am bro. see? socks.” Sans proudly gestured to his slippers where a pair of white socks struggled to stay up on his tibia and fibula. Paps screeched indignantly before shrugging helplessly to Harry.

            “HE MEANS WELL, TINY HUMAN HARRY!” he then turned towards Sans, “IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SHOW HARRY AROUND SCENIC OUR HOUSE! DON’T SHIRK IT LIKE YOU DO WITH YOUR SOCK, PET ROCK, OR WORK, SANS!!!” Paps then began grandly gesturing Frisk around the house. Harry awkwardly shuffled over to Sans, his face so red Sans was starting to worry. He was thankful that he didn’t need to let he kid down easy, Harry did it for him.

            “I-I’m sorry Sans… I think we need to see other people… we’re just too _different_ … I’m eight… you’re a skeleton… it’s not you, it’s me.” relief swept through him. Sans wasn’t sure what he would have done if Harry had actually _wanted_ to date him. Monsters are pretty open about relationships, but not _that_ open.

            “wow kid, we haven’t even started dating and you’re already breaking it off. _tibia_ honest, you’re right, though. this was _boned_ to happen. we do need to see other _bodies_. i think paps may be heartbroken about it though.” Harry looked relieved and embarrassed at the same time. A loud shout came from upstairs.

            “YOU’VE BEEN PLANNING THIS THE WHOLE TIME! YOU’RE DATING POWER!!! IT’S OVER NINE THOUSAND!!!” Harry looked up at Paps’ door in confusion. Sans laughed a little and gestured Harry to the couch.

            “we can watch something until paps and frisk come down. let him down gently.” Sans snickered as Harry almost glared at him but sat down anyway.

\--Chara’s OTP—

            Harry let out a sigh of relief. He wasn’t sure if he could handle a romantic life before he even hit puberty.

_Aww… but you were my OTP, Harry! I shall call this ship: HANS! No, wait… that sounds like it would end badly. Hmm… Sarry? Sounds like one letter away from an illicit relationship… uh, I’ll work on it. **This ship isn’t sinking on my watch!** Quick, Harry, complement his eye… socket… lights…_

            Harry almost choked on air for a moment, Sans briefly sending him a concerned look.

            _Chara, I am NOT FLIRTING THE SANS!_ Papyrus came downstairs with a Determined expression while Frisk just sent him an amused one.

 _My ship will never die. **Never**_.

            “so, how’d it go, paps?” Sans asked smugly.

            “I COULD NOT RETURN FRISK’S FEELINGS, BUT OUR FRIENDSHIP WILL ONLY BE STRONGER BECAUSE OF THIS EXPERIENCE! SANS, HOW DID YOUR DATE WITH TINY HUMAN HARRY GO?”

            “oh, we decided we were too different. we’re both just friends now, paps.”

            “I SEE OUR DATES ENDED VERY MUCH THE SAME. I APOLOGIZE, TINY HUMAN HARRY, THAT YOU CANNOT DATE THE SECOND BEST AFTER THE GREAT PAPYRUS HIMSELF! I’M SURE YOU’LL FIND SOMEONE ELSE!”

            “yeah, kid. someone who could do _right_ by you…” Harry felt his face grow hot again and stuck his tongue out at Frisk, who was almost dying from laughter.

_NO! I refuse to see my OTP shatter! Give it a few years Harry, I know it’s a little embarrassing for guys to date someone taller than them! oh… THAT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER! TALL HARRY AND SMALL SKELETON SANS! yeesssss…_

_Where’s the nearest Catholic church? I think I need an **exorcism**_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear, Sans and Harry will not be a ship beyond brother/family/uncle/dad dude. Chara's mostly just really bored in Harry's head and riling him up is the best entertainment they can get right now. That, and it really does make me laugh to have this here. Hardcore shipper Chara.
> 
> Enjoy.


	8. Sans Makes A Dark Promise

“so, frisk, ya headed out already?” Sans asked casually, looking over at Harry carefully. Frisk nodded their head.

            “Yeah… Harry, you’re staying with Sans. Mom should wake up soon and I do not want to have to explain to her why I let you go off with me.” Frisk gave Sans a look and he winked.

            “what’s with the look? ya got a _bone_ to pick with me?” Sans joked as a skeletal arm wrapped around Harry, securing him to the couch.

            “Frisk! No, I’m going with you!” Harry said as Sans lazily wrapped his other arm around his waist, lifting Harry into Sans lap.

            “nope. not going to happen kiddo. i’ve got a stand in waterfall and hotlands that i can go to and check on frisk, but besides that, you are not going along with them. sorry kid.” Harry squirmed in Sans lap but found that Sans’ grip was oddly strong for a skeleton. Harry felt fear and concern well up inside him, a tingling feeling began running through his bones. The TV seemed to flicker and Harry froze, praying that no one noticed. But Sans certainly did.

_It’s okay, Harry! Honestly, your sitting in Sans lap. A skeleton monster. No one is going to hate you for… being different. Besides, my OTP is looking to be a Bro-TP… not sure how I feel about that. Like, it’ll be a warm and fuzzy, but not the wild romance I was hoping for…_

_Chara, now is NOT THE TIME FOR THAT!_

            “SANS AND FRISK ARE CORRECT, TINY HARRY! WITH UNDYNE PATROLLING THROUGH WATERFALL IT IS TOO DANGEROUS! FRISK IS BIG ENOUGH, BUT YOU, HARRY, WOULD JUST HIT HER KNEE CAPS! UNDYNE IS THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD AND IT IS HER DUTY TO CAPTURE A HUMAN…. BUT… SHE IS VERY… ENERGETIC. SHE MAY ACCIDENTALLY STEP ON YOU!” Harry glanced over at Frisk in a panic, which Papyrus thankfully picked up on, “SHE IS REALLY NICE, BUT SHE IS ALSO…. _INTENSE_. I WILL WORK HARD TO MAKE FRISK AND UNDYNE FRIENDS, BUT UNTIL IT IS SAFE, IT IS FOR THE BEST THAT YOU DO NOT FOLLOW FRISK, HARRY!” with a distressed keen, Harry leaned back into Sans’ chest.

 _It really is for the best. None of the monsters down here_ really _mean you harm, but that doesn’t mean they won’t hurt you by accident. They just want to be free… Just stick with Sans, he’s good at avoiding… conflict._

            There was an odd tone in Chara’s voice at that last statement, but Harry couldn’t pin down exactly what it was. Harry hung his head and finally nodded. He somehow doubted that Sans would mess up and just let him run off after Frisk. Even though Sans seemed really lazy, there was a sharpness to him, kind of like Aunt Petunia when guests are over. A bony hand ran through his hair comfortingly.

            “there ya go, kiddo. don’t worry, we’ll have a fantastic _thyme_.” Sans rumbled. Frisk laughed at Papyrus’ indignant screech.

            “SANS! YOU AND YOUR PUNS ARE DRIVING ME INSANE! I ALMOST FORGOT I MUST REPORT TO UNDYNE SOON! PLEASE BE CAREFUL FRISK! AND HARRY, STAY WITH SANS! I KNOW HIS PUNS ARE DIFFICULT TO BEAR BUT HE IS A GOOD SHORTER BROTHER!” Papyrus said as he leapt out the door. Frisk kneeled in front of Harry and Sans, ruffling Harry’s hair carefully before hugging Harry and Sans. Harry clutched at Frisk before reluctantly letting go.

            “You had a nap earlier, but you’ve been through a lot. Don’t forget to make him go to bed sometime soon, Sans… and uh, don’t leave him alone. It wouldn’t be fair to have him… _suddenly wake up_ _alone_ …” Frisk wasn’t sure how to phrase it. _Please don’t let Harry have to wake up alone if he consciously remembers Reloads_. Sans nodded anyway, understanding what Frisk was trying to say. He could remember what it was like to suddenly be jolted into reality with the world shaking before being consumed by darkness and waking up at a previous point. After all, Undyne wasn’t pulling any punches. And it wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility that Frisk could be killed by other monsters as well. If at all possible, he’d like to avoid making Harry live through the confusion of a Reload without any explanation. It wasn’t exactly a picnic.

            “no sweat, kid. i still have twice the union regulated breaks to cash in on.” Sans said with a wink as Frisk stood up and walked out of the house. Silence blanketed them as Sans suddenly realized something. Technically speaking, he should be meeting up with Frisk soon to go to Grillbys. But it wasn’t like they didn’t already know what he would say then, in any case. Harry, on the other hand, could use a good meal or three. Kid felt too light, too skinny for Sans’ peace of mind. “hey, kid, wanna go to Grillby’s?”

\--Sometimes, we just need to sit down and have a nice, warm meal.—

            Harry wasn’t sure how to feel about the situation. Frisk was off somewhere in a place called “Waterfall” without him, likely to run into someone called “Undyne”, who was a dangerous person from what he heard. He could almost ignore the warm, fuzzy feeling in his heart at how Sans hasn’t let go of his hand the entire time since Frisk left. Sans barely let go to shove a striped red and orange sweater of his head. It was a bit too big for him, and Sans did tell him that it used to belong to Payrus, but somehow… it didn’t feel like when his Aunt and Uncle would give him too-big clothes. There was an inherent warmth in the way that Sans pulled the sweater out of the closet and took off Harry’s jacket.

            “that shirt seems like it’s on its last _thread_ , kid. how about one of papyrus’ old sweaters? down here, kids wear stripes. it’s why i had to ask how old you were. this way, everyone will know that you’re a kid, and not just a midget. it happens.” Harry didn’t see the slight blue glow of Sans’ left eye after he took off the raggedy gray shirt. The pale skin didn’t hide the old bruises from the last round of “Harry Hunting”, nor did it hide each individual rib bone. Sans may not know a lot about humans, but being able to see the skeletal system of any creature besides a skeleton was never a good sign.

            The sweater was a turtle neck, thankfully, so it didn’t fall off his shoulders, but his hands were practically engulfed. Sans let out a warm chuckle. “need a _hand_?” he asked as he carefully folded the sleeves until the fabric was a thick band around his small wrists. Harry wasn’t exactly cold, but he could just feel… _warmth_ in the very fabric of the sweater.

            “T-There’s really no need to go to all this trouble, Sans…” he said while looking down. Sans ruffled his hair a little harder than normal.

            “nah, no need to sweat it, kid. ‘m not exactly the kind of guy to do something _unnecessary_. not like paps’ old sweater was doing any good in my closet, anyhow. put on your coat, kid. we won’t be in the cold long, but frisk will have my head if you catch a cold.” Warm boney fingers wrapped around his jacket and helped him put his arms through the sleeves before taking his hand. Harry could feel his face grow warm as a smile grew on his lips. Looking down, Harry didn’t notice the small blue hearts in Sans eye sockets as his grin softened into a smile as well. It was a strange and disorienting moment when Sans continued to hold his hand all the way through town. “i’d take a shortcut, but you look a little _under the weather_.” Sans said with a glance at the very liberal sprinkling of snow already gathered in Harry’s hair.

            “Why are you holding my hand?” Harry didn’t mean to ask, it just came out. He looked down at his feet shuffling through the snow, his face a little warmer. _Great, now he’ll realize he was still holding my hand and let go. No one wants to hold hands with a freak…_

            “you’re so… small, kid. not sure what kind of parents you had above ground, but _responsible adults_ make sure to hold their kids hands when they’re small… because they _care_.” Sans hand squeezed lightly at his own and Harry looked up in surprise. _He cares?_

_Course he does… bone head couldn’t stop caring if he tried…_

            “…I don’t have any.” Harry said without thinking again, instinctively flinching. He really needed to stop doing that. Talking without permission was against the rules.

 _Harry… you’re not with those… people anymore. The…rules no longer **apply**_.

            “SANS!” Harry jumped. He didn’t even realize that they had already entered Grillby’s. He also really needed to start paying attention to his surroundings again. Sans gave a good natured chuckle and lead Harry to the bar, making sure to help him up onto the stool.

            “hey, grills. i’d like two ‘burgs and an order of fries… and some juice for the kid.” Sans added as an after-thought. He was so distracted he even forgot to put down a whoopee cushion in Harry’s chair. Grillby nodded and headed into the back, Harry’s last statement ringing in his skull, “kid… what do you mean, ‘don’t have any’?” Harry looked down at his hands. It was a long moment before he replied.

            “Parents… I don’t have any. They died in a car crash when I was a baby. My aunt told me they were drunks and that was how I got this scar.” Harry tilted his head up and brushed his bangs out of the way but his eyes were firmly fixed on the floor. Sans felt the lights in his eyes go out at the sight of the scar and the implications of what Harry said. _Surely, it’s not normal to tell your eight year old nephew that his parents were drunks?_ His boney fingers gently ran down the length of the pale scar before brushing away Harry’s hand, fixing the bangs back to where Harry was clearly comfortable with them. He ignored the almost overwhelming feeling of… _wrongness_ that came from touching the scar. His hand cupped Harry’s cheek for several moments but Sans wasn’t sure what to say to that. Thankfully, he didn’t have to. Grillby came back with their order.

            “thanks, grills.” Sans reached for the ketchup, “want any, harry?” Harry looked up at him in surprise. Harry’s nod was so oddly hopeful that Sans couldn’t help but discreetly tighten the lid back. Sans told himself that the prank wasn’t worth the waste of food if Harry couldn’t stomach the heavy amount of ketchup that would have poured out. He knew he was lying to himself. Small hands carefully applied a small pile of ketchup next to the fries before handing the bottle back to Sans.

            “Thank you, Sans.” _And the kid is so freaking polite._ Sans felt like he should say something to Harry about his parents. About his aunt, who was beginning to sound like a bad egg. Just… anything to get that happy sparkle back in the kid’s eyes.

            “well, kid… if you’re any indication, your parents must have been amazing people… before their deaths.” Sans was glad he didn’t quite manage to take a bite from his burger when Harry replied. His statement so _cold_ and _quick_ to be just words.

            “My parents were drunks and I’m just a _freak_.” His magic rattled through his bones. Something was not right here. Eight year olds don’t call themselves freaks like that. _Children do not refer to themselves as freaks so easily without promting_. Just _knowing_ that exploding with rage like he wanted to would only end badly, Sans carefully pulled himself back. Back to the ‘happy comedian’ mask that he had worn for so long. An insidious thought echoed in his head. _It wasn’t **normal** for kids to call themselves freaks. It’s not exactly normal for kids to fall down holes in the mountain side either._ An image of Frisk when they first fell came to mind.

            They were upset and scared, _but he never heard Frisk call out for their parents like what any normal kid would have done. Not once did they call out to some invisible guardian except Toriel. On that note, how normal is it for a kid to adopt a complete stranger as their mother? Even someone like Toriel? Something **both** Frisk and Harry have done._ It was decided, somewhere deep in Sans, at that moment. If this was the last time (how many times had he wished it was before?), then someone was going to pay for this. S O M E  O N E  W A S  G O I N G  T O  P A Y  F O R  W H A T  H A S  B E E N  D O N E  T O  T H E S E  K I D S.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we see what I had written in the description! Ha, sorry it's been so long, but school work got kind of crazy. On a side note, I've been learning the violin since last semester and this semester I've gotten sheet music for "Megalovania", "Snowy", "Asgore" and "Heartache". I can't read sheet music, so it's been a process having my teacher notate out the fingering, but Megalovania gives me chills. Like, jesus Christ. Asgore is a chore, but damn Sans. You're kick ass music is /exhausting/ just looking at it. And I haven't even gotten half way through the eight god damn pages! For someone who doesn't like to do a lot of work, your music is fucking ridiculous. *sigh* But anyway, I've been really tempted to draw out some of the scenes in this chapter especially. Like, I normally don't because I have a hard time drawing something I can't see in front of me, but some of these scenes man. I just wanna draw them so bad! And I may have fucked up with the scaling of these monsters, jesus Christ. If I use the sprites as a reference, Frisk and Sans are the same height, but I already established that Frisk is to Sans' chin and Harry is to Sans' waist. Undyne is fucking tall as hell now. /Oops/. But I guess it makes sense. I mean, classically speaking, how many times are monsters considered small creatures? None. Well, I may change it later when Harry actually meets Undyne. I'm trying not to think too hard about how tall Undyne would actually have to be if Harry was at knee cap height. Jesus i'm tired. Well, Enjoy!


	9. I Swear I Didn't Mean to Make a Tangled Reference

At this time, Frisk had made quite the progress through Waterfall. They’d already passed the area where Papyrus approached Undyne, nervous but rather Determined this time, and managed to get through to the part where they fall down into the garbage dump area. Soon they would face Undyne in battle. Frisk held no illusions about dying at least once during that battle. Undyne never was one to hold back. At least all their bases were covered. There had never been another human down here, so there was a pretty good chance that Harry may be able to recall past Reloads. Their train of thought was interrupted by a ringing. _Who’s calling me? OH!_

\--Children, am I right?—

            Toriel stumbled out of bed to wash her face, fur sticking every which way, particularly where she cried. A short trip to the bathroom later solved that. Briefly, she considered what she should make for breakfast. _Perhaps I should wake up Harry to see if he’d like to help?_ But when she peaked her head in the room, no one was there. Just a note on the pillow. Tears and panic built up within her chest as she read the note.

            “ _Oh, Harry!_ ” Who could she call? She didn’t know anyone outside besides her pun-ny friend on the other side of the door! _Or did she?_ It was with a trembling paw that she dialed the number she knew by heart. _Oh, Frisk, please pick up!... I’m so sorry, my child…._

\--Hey, I’m not that irresponsible, am I?—

            “Mom?!”

            “My child, Frisk! Have you seen Harry?! I woke up and—and—and he was gone! He left a note that he was going to find you and give you a jacket—“

            “Woah, calm down, Goat Mom! Yeah, Harry found me. He’s in Snowdin right now with Sans. I’m moving forward and… well, it would be a bit too dangerous to have him come with me.”

            “…Sans? Who is that, my child?”

            “This pun cracking skele-bro. I’ve got his brother’s number if you want me to call and tell him to take Harry back to the Ruins.” There was a long pause on the line.

            “…No.”

            “No?!”

            “I cannot trap Harry with me forever, my child. It is good that he is making friends. I am a little worried… I mean, he is so terribly _shy_ … but I think I know of whom you speak…”

            “Hey now, Harry really means to stay with you. You know that, right?” Frisk waited a long moment before continuing, “You… you noticed, didn’t you? Harry’s clothes? How thin he is? It’s not a human fashion, mom. I’m speaking from experience here… kids don’t just _end up_ on Mt. Ebbot… not with all the rumors around it. Not these days.”

            “Rumors?”

            “Yeah… for as long as I can remember, people have… _talked_ about Mt. Ebbot. About how kids disappear there… and _no one comes back_. I don’t know about Harry, but _I_ certainly didn’t climb up the mountain out of _curiosity_ … and I don’t think Harry did either.” There was a strangled sob on the line. “So… don’t be so quick to let go of Harry, mom. I’m not crossing the underground because I want to go _home_ … that… that’s where Cinnamon-Butterscotch Pie is baked and a Goat Mom reads facts about snails and tells bad puns.”

            “Frisk…”

            “I’m doing this so you can be _free_. So _everyone can be free_.” Neither knew what to say after that, both just enjoying the quiet feeling of warmth and Determination in the silence.

            “…I suppose it is about time this old lady visited her neighbors.” Came the soft reply. Frisk wasn’t sure if she should laugh or cry.

            “Yeah, just head straight. Sans and Papyrus live in the last house before Waterfall. It’s the only house with a mailbox stuffed with mail.” Warm laughter echoed through both phones.

            “Alright, I shall make some pie to take with me. It would be rude of me to intrude without bringing a gift… stay safe, my child.”

            “I will.” a soft click echoed in the cavern. Frisk suddenly realized that they had yet to see Sans at his telescope, but all things considered, it was probably for the best. _Next, I face Undyne._

\--Scene change for reasons.—

            Considering how small Harry was, Sans didn’t have any trouble carrying the kid back to his house. Mentally, he checked his internal clock. Hm, if Frisk is going at a normal pace, he already missed them at his telescope. In fact, they should be right before Undyne. Quickly, he sat down on the couch. With any luck, the world won’t Reload suddenly and cause him to dump Harry into the snow. He really should be waiting at his booth in Hotlands, but he had a feeling Frisk would Reload at least once, and he wanted to be sure that Harry couldn’t recall Reloads first. Explaining that isn’t exactly something he wants to have with a bunch of eavesdroppers.

            He took in Harry’s sleepy features, poor kid was so out of it he didn’t even realize they were home. Carefully, he took off the jacket and adjusted Harry. Just in time, too. A tremor ran through reality and Sans felt his bones clack together ominously. Harry’s eyes flashed open as he began to shake. Like when the TV is suddenly turned off, darkness consumed them. Harry sucked in a shuddering breath in the Void before the world winked back into existence.

\--Stay Determined.—

            Harry felt like his entire world was shaking as pain shot through his head.

_Son of a Gaster Blaster! Harry, hold on!_

            The couch seemed to shake and the TV flickered on and off as Harry clutched his forehead, where the searing heat originated. He wasn’t sure what just happened. He was falling asleep in Sans’ arms— _You’re a freak, don’t burden other people so easily!_ —and suddenly everything began falling apart.

            “Harry! kid, ya alright?!” A small keening cry left Harry’s throat and he felt something distinctly _Chara_ spread through his limbs. He felt himself grow distant from the pain. Everything seemed to fade away.

_You will die, you f’ing LEECH!_

**_I WILL FINISH WHAT I STARTED!_ **

_Not on my watch! Hey, Sans, you freaking smiling trash bag, I could use a little help here!_

            “wha?! C H A R A???” a growling timber echoed in his head.

\--You know, the ‘Power he knows not’ could just as easily be Sans. Like, whoever sees this dude coming?!—

            Sans watched in horror as Harry spoke… but it wasn’t Harry. His eyes took on a different glint as they peaked out from behind his hands. This voice was different. There was an edge there.

            _“Hey, Sans, you freaking smiling trash bag, I could use a little help here!”_ Sans crushed his first instinct to impale the small child in his arms. He settled for gripping Harry’s body tighter.

            “wha?! C H A R A???” he growled as Chara flinched from some internal pain.

            _“Not now, Sans! Quick, take this freaking leech out before it consumes Harry!”_ blue mist began to seep from his left eye socket.

            “and why should i trust Y O U?”

            _“Take a look at his Soul and tell me THAT is normal, idiot! You felt it, didn’t you? When you looked at Harry’s scar? THAT’S WHERE IT LIVES! The Reload is resonating with the splinter! Waking it up! You have to do something! Harry’s not exactly built to fight a Determined Soul!”_ Sans didn’t like any of this, but relented when he noticed the trail of blood seeping from Harry’s scar. _It looked like something was trying to escape_. The world shuddered and buckled as another Reload swept through. But Harry didn’t change. In fact, he was still bleeding. The implication of that drove Sans to clutch at Harry’s chest and _pull_.

            In any other moment, Sans would have appreciated the soft pink of Harry’s Soul. A strange feeling sweeping through him as the warm glow washed over his face. But there was a… _bubbling red thing_. It stemmed from a dark spot on the upper part of Harry’s Soul but seemed to branch out and lash at the inner workings of his Soul and try to attach to the sides. Instinctively, Sans wrapped his magic around the red coloration, surprised when only the leeching Soul turned blue and froze. _It literally counts as a different Soul… then, perhaps I can do this!_ Carefully cupping the Soul with one hand, he touched the now blue spot with his other hand and began to slowly _pull_.

            Now, what no one but Chara was aware of at that moment, was the natural protection Harry had struggling against the unprecedented force of the Reload. It takes a very obscure ritual to turn back time itself, with a very heavy cost. The creation of Time Turners unprecedented and something no magic could ever defend against. The fact that this particular magic is created from a red _Soul_ , filled with Determination, matched the late Tom Riddle being a very unfortunate coincidence. Rather than being unaffected, like most of monster kind and Souls not red, the Soul was awoken. The deep craving for Power awakening the slumbering splinter resting within Harry. Now wielded by Chara, this protection, like a ship in a storm, bravely fought against the encroaching poison of the Soul splinter.

            Chara trusted that Sans would be able to screw with whatever messed up plans that the Soul splinter had, from personal experience really, and if he couldn’t, then no one could. Thankfully, for Chara and Harry, _someone came_. Sans alone could stall, and perhaps even defeat the Soul splinter, but with _help_ …

            Sans felt, rather than actually saw, familiar hands cover his own. A comforting voice from long ago whispered through his consciousness.

            “ **[This abomination must be stopped, my son… even if you will not remember my intervention. _This petty attempt to find immortality cannot be allowed_**. **]** ” The Soul splinter struggled futilely against the combined strength of Sans and **[REDACTED]**. But it was for naught. A glass cylinder, likely brought by **[REDACTED]** , now contained the thrashing splinter. Small wisps of black smoke left Harry’s scar as he fainted into a deep sleep to recover. Semi-solid hands pressed the glass cylinder into Sans hands as a feeling of static filled his bones.

            “w-w-what!?”

            “ **[Be good, Sans. I trust you can find the other pieces of this… _Soul_ and properly dispose of the wretched creature?]** ” a sad whine rattled through Sans’ throat. Why did he feel so upset? A lingering feeling of someone caressing his skull soothed him. “ **[Stop looking for me Sans… I am beyond your help… _I am so sorry, my son… Dadster loves you… so much_.]** ” and as quickly as it came, the feeling left. Neither Sans or **[REDACTED]** noticed the strand of soft pink magic wrap around the wrist of a skeletal man lost across space and time.

            Love, after all, is a very intuitive emotion. It laughs, as much as an emotion can, in the face of reason or logic. It lingers long after the recipients are lost to us. Sans may not remember **[REDACTED]** , but something inside him did. He still loved his Dadster very much. And that love was returned. By helping Harry from being completely consumed, this lost Soul earned a very magical sort of karma. A Life Debt, if you will. One way or another, the debt will be repaid. To both Sans and **[REDACTED]**. Chara already being assigned as a guardian of Harry’s magic, mind, and Soul was mostly exempt from this. Soon, Lily’s protection will do what it could not for Harry. Bring back what was lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so first off "Hey Onion! How's it going? I literally raced you here. Need a bottle of water or a towel?" /you know who you are/. Okay, so the plan Frisk and Sans had DID go right, but neither one planned for THIS. Clearly. As Onion pointed out in the comments, Harry has the worst luck ever. He doesn't mean to run into these problems! They... just... sort of... bump into him. I didn't mean for... uh... what was his name again? 
> 
> ;)
> 
> So, if any of you felt like there was some reason for the incredible amount of cute Harry has been with Sans, this is why. I needed to make sure Sans didn't just Gaster Blast Harry into oblivion when Chara started to talk. In a genocide run, he has time to prepare himself. He can distance himself from what is happening because it's happened so many times before. But how much you wanna bet he didn't just blast the ever living shit out of Chara the first few times they murdered Papyrus? Until he realized that /nothing/ mattered with the Resets? This way, I didn't have to worry about Sans carrying the sin of murdering Harry when he has reason (PTSD for real, though) but not in that moment. CX
> 
> But, hey, now we have that taken care of, don't we? BTW, that entire last part with Sans and Lily's protection? Entirely unintended. It LITERALLY just shoved it's way in here. Also, uh, i'm a little lost on the joke for the comment in the last chapter... Are... are you referring to Riddle or Avada Kedavra as a crocodile or how obviously fake this story sounds? Trust me, when Undyne takes a chill pill or Harry meets Alphys and either one of them get the story, they will definitely smell the BS. They might even have a secret bet. Pft. Just imagining Dumbledore or Hagrid popping up and explaining the REAL history of Harry and being all like "You owe me 25G, Undyne. I told you it would be something like a magical girl thing"
> 
> "No way, Alphys! It's a draw!"
> 
> "Harry's parents weren't murdered by the leader of an evil corporation--oh wait... huh... fine. It's a draw..."
> 
> Anyway, Glad to see ya Onion. Good to know you can recognize my writing style. And for everyone else, I hope you enjoy!


	10. Mum's Here. (Finally)

Speechless, Sans carefully wiped away the blood and inky black… muck that had burst from Harry’s scar. The glass cylinder now resting in his lab for further study. Chara had always felt… off. Particularly by the time they reached the Last Corridor. But whatever _that_ was… it was just completely _wrong_. It took several moments of focusing on Harry’s soft breathing to not just smash the Soul splinter into a million pieces. Until it was dust. He couldn’t bring himself to examine it just yet. His internal clock warned him that Frisk was going to reach his booth in a moment. He did not want to leave Harry alone, so settled on carefully lifting him up and taking a shortcut just behind his booth.

            If he sat forward just right, hunched over, Undyne wouldn’t be able to spot Harry securely in his lap. Hearing heavy metallic footsteps, Sans quickly closed his eyes and faked sleep. Frisk’s light footsteps dashed past him and Undyne stopped to berate him for sleeping on the job.

            “SANS! Why did you let the human punk run past you?!” Sans jolted his head up a little and grinned sleepily at Undyne’s furious face.

            “oh. hey, _bass_. there’s a human here?” Undyne let out a furious gurgle, “then shouldn’t you be catching them?” Absolutely _pissed_ , Undyne ran after Frisk. By the time she crossed the bridge she was too hot to even stand. Sans watched from afar as Frisk dumped water on Undyne’s head. The surprised woman dashing off in a fit of anger. It wouldn’t be very sporting to try and kill Frisk after she had helped her out. Frisk answered a phone call from his brother and walked over to his booth.

            “Sans! Where’s Harry?” Frisk asked anxiously, looking around for a familiar head of black hair.

            “aw, what? no hello for ole sansy?” he said with a chuckle. Something in him eased slightly. _There, light teasing… something normal… should I tell Frisk?_ With a sigh, he leaned back and adjusted Harry on his lap so he was visible. His forehead wasn’t bleeding anymore, but Sans planned on feeding Harry a Cinnamon Bunny or two later, just in case. Frisk let out a sigh of relief.

            “Thank god. I was really worried for a moment there… Oh! Right, Sans, you might want to head back to the house! Mom called sometime before my battle with Undyne! I managed to convince her to visit… I mean… I remember how much it hurt the first few times when I realized that she wouldn’t answer her phone anymore… and how the door locked behind me. But she was going to make a pie first before leaving, so it should be a while yet before she comes knocking.” Frisk nervously ran their fingers through their hair before sighing. Sans looked off for a moment before finally deciding.

            “frisk… we, uh… we need to talk. come on, i know a shortcut.” Sans stood up and walked out from behind the booth to grab Frisk’s hand. Before Frisk could blink, they were back in the skeleton brother’s house. “paps will be hanging out around undyne’s for a bit…” Frisk looked concerned.

            “Sans? What’s wrong?” Sans didn’t answer as he flopped down onto the couch and rearranged Harry on his lap again.

            “kid… did you know that chara’s possessing harry?” Frisk gasped and looked at Sans in concern, looking for some sort of injury or dust on Harry’s hands.

            “What?! W-What happened?!” Sans let out a deep sigh and rubbed his face.

            “when you… Reloaded, it resonated with something in harry. you’ve been in a fight with harry, right? you’ve seen his Soul? that… that red spot? there was something just… _not right_ , with it. not sure how chara is involved. when the Soul splinter tried to consume harry, chara came out and told me to take it out.” Sans hung his head and brushed Harry’s bangs away from the awful scar. If he didn’t know any better, he would have said that the scar already looked more faded than before. “almost gaster blasted the kid when chara spoke… after everything that… that _F R E A K_ did! the hell is it doing now?!” Sans spat, looking up at Frisk. He missed Harry’s eyes opening, green eyes watery with tears. But Frisk didn’t.

            “Sans!” Frisk cried out as Harry shot off Sans’ lap, tears falling down as Harry began to sob. They watched in morbid fascination as Harry’s form flickered in and out of sight besides the TV, which also seemed to be shaking and flickering on and off.

            “harry!”

            “Harry!” Frisk and Sans cried out, carefully moving forward to reassure him.

            “I’msorry!I’msorry! I didn’t mean to do anything _freaky!_ Please don’t hurt me! Please don’t abandon me! I’M SORRY!” Harry cried out as his small arms tried to wrap around his frame and hide his face at the same time. The front door slammed open and Harry jumped. Toriel stood, her eyes wide with horror as she took in the shaking furniture and Harry’s flickering form. She sat down the basket she brought, carefully closing the door, all her attention focused on Harry.

            Harry flinched and fell silent, his body squeezing into a small ball as he covered his head. Toriel carefully moved forward, slowly but surely. She gave Sans and Frisk a sharp look when they tried to speak before turning her attention back to Harry.

            “Harry, my child… it is alright.” She crept forward, her body crouched down so she wasn’t quite towering over Harry anymore, “Do… do you know what’s happening right now, my child?” Harry shook his head, a sob jerking through his body, “It’s _magic_ , my child. _You’re doing magic._ ” Harry shook his head harder in denial.

            “Nonononono! T-T-They told me magic isn’t real!” Harry stuttered out. Toriel almost didn’t contain a distressed whine as she slowly crept closer, “O-O-Only _freaks_ could do magic!”

            “Oh, _Harry_ … those… _people_ lied to you, Harry. You’ve seen magic down here, many different monsters too! Are… are we freaks, Harry?” Harry shook his head and sobbed. Toriel was almost within arm’s reach of Harry now.

            “No, I’m the freak! _Normal people_ don’t do _freakish_ things! They don’t have v-voices in their head!” Toriel scooped Harry into her arms and began to rock Harry like a babe. The furniture stopped shaking, his form remained visible, and Harry slowly began to clutch at Toriel’s dress.

            “Magic isn’t freakish, my child. _You are not a freak_ … tell me about this voice, Harry.” Sans and Frisk were frozen in shock. They weren’t entirely sure what to do when Harry began to talk.

            “T-Their name i-is C-Chara! T-They’ve been with me since I f-fell down… they keep telling me I’m not a freak too… that I’m just different, and that’s okay…” Toriel’s back stiffened at the name, but the former queen kept her calm.

            “Their name is Chara? My, what an interesting name, my child…”

            “T-They want me to tell you… to tell you that they’re sorry… sorry for what they did. F-For Asriel too! That… that they didn’t mean for that to happen… they just wanted to free everyone.” Toriel was shocked… she did not know what to say. But Harry continued anyway, “T-That they were c-consumed by rage for s-so long… they lost themselves…. Mum?” Harry whispered.

            “Y-Yes, my child?”

            “C-Chara says that they can’t come back… that most of their Soul is already reincarnated… what does that mean?” Toriel stood up and walked over to the couch before sitting down.

            “W-Well, my child, reincarnation is when someone dies and their Soul is… cleansed. They are then reborn as a new person. Monsters can see the Souls of others, and noticed how sometimes they will meet a human that is… very similar to one that is long gone. Sometimes, it is their mannerisms that remain… or a peculiar hobby… or even their image. They are not who they used to be, no amount of magic can bring back the dead when they have truly passed, Harry. So it is not… entirely strange for you to have Chara’s voice in your head. The fact that Chara was Determined enough to linger in spirit to find their way to you is… unusual. They have been dead for a very long time… I have long since accepted that Chara would never come back… not as they once were.” She carefully caressed Harry’s cheek, smoothing away his tears, “It is likely your magic, yes, you have magic Harry, that allows Chara to be… grounded so to speak. Humans have the strength to linger after death, something monsters lack. But if Chara’s Soul is already mostly gone, reincarnated into a new form, then what is left of Chara is likely just the… _bare bones_ so to speak. Their memories and strong emotions. Without the rest of their Soul, they likely do not have the strength to move onto the next life. I imagine that, without being grounded in a willing host, Chara would go mad. Your Soul… Harry, do you know what your Soul color means?”

            “N-No, mum…”

            “It is Love… not the kind that is an acronym for LV, or Level of Violence, but of the emotion. The shade of pink means it is born from Determination. I am sensitive to Souls, and I can feel the magic protecting you, Harry. With your very being, you are grounding Chara to a very powerful and positive emotion… you are _redeeming_ Chara, Harry. And one day, Chara will be able to finally move on, but until they can, your magic and Soul are acting as an anchor… thank you, my child. For saving someone I thought was lost long ago.” Toriel held Harry tighter and Harry could feel it. His Soul swell with _Love_.

            “harry, kid… i wasn’t talking about you earlier. you’re… you’re practically a _baby bones_. you haven’t done anything wrong.” Sans said reproachfully, a little wary that Toriel would snap his bones for trying to talk to Harry.

            “Mom… is… Harry’s Soul alright? I mean, Sans said he had to… _remove_ a leech of some kind earlier and that it almost consumed him.” Toriel looked at Frisk, a sad light in her eyes, before moving back a little. Her paw went to Harry’s chest and carefully coaxed out his Soul. It seemed a little weak, a small indent where the red spot used to be, but otherwise fine. She carefully pushed it back in and sighed.

            “Harry’s Soul is fine, my child. He should eat something soon to help recover, but his magic has protected him very well… _Sans_ … I would like to take a look at what you removed while Harry and Frisk eat some of my Cinnamon-Butterscotch Pie.” Carefully setting Harry down on the couch, Toriel moved to the basket and removed two small slices. Before she could even ask, Sans had two plates with forks ready. “Ah, thank you.” The pieces were distributed to the two children and Toriel and Sans walked outside.

            “it’s no _slice_ off my back, lady.” Sans said with a wink, causing Toriel to giggle a little before controlling herself. Frisk went to sit down next to Harry as the door closed, leaving the two of them alone.

            “Go on ahead and eat, sweetheart. The pie isn’t going to bite _you_.” Harry wiped at his eyes and giggled a little before digging in.

\--Personally, I always liked the thought of _family_ being the power he knows not. Like, seriously. Dude sure as hell ain’t going to see _this_ coming.—

            Sans opened the door to his lab behind the house, letting the former queen walk in first.

            “The… _thing_ is in that glass cylinder. Figured I’d look into it a bit before destroying it. Something tells me that it’s not the only splinter lying around… someone was awfully _Determined_ not to die.” Toriel didn’t even touch the cylinder before she snarled at it.

            “ _This… this WRETCHED CREATURE WAS TRYING TO CONSUME HARRY’S SOUL?! I WILL RIP THE MANGY CUR APART, BIT BY BIT UNTIL HE MATCHES HIS SOUL!_ Tom Marvolo Riddle better watch out… no one hurts my children… **_N O  O N E_**.” Sans jumped and looked at the Soul splinter.

**Tom Marvolo Riddle (1/7)**

**HP: ERroR**

**ATK: ErROr**

**DEF: ErRoR**

**_An abominable attempt at immortality._ **

            _Oh, yeah. Someone’s definitely going to H A V E  A  B A D  T I M E._ _And it ain’t gonna be me._ Sans thought to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so angst all around. Now Goat Mom knows that Harry is a wizard, Chara is sort of still here, and I'm having a hard time imagining the rest of Canon Undertale occurring. I still plan on the next chapter involving Undyne and Frisk becoming besties, but to be honest... with this emotional wake up call, I don't think Toriel's going to just /let/ Frisk run off to meet the murderous fish wife. Even if Frisk says it'll be cool. I mean, look what happened to Harry after he ran off?! He nearly had his Soul consumed! Oh, and as of yet, Nagini hasn't been made into a horcrux, as that happens when Bertha Jerkins dies in the fourth book. (Originally 1993 but since I bumped up the time line that clearly doesn't apply anymore.) So, included shade/wraith Riddle, there are seven bits wondering around. Expect there to be a debriefing with Toriel and some interesting characters about this abomination. I mean, human Souls can already exist without a mortal body, as seen with Chara, and that shit never goes well. The fact that Riddle put, on purpose or not, a splinter of his Soul in Harry will be a horrific occurrence for the monsters. Now, Toriel will likely lead the charge to get to Asgore and free everyone just so she can end Riddle herself. Hah, yeah, a lot happened here. I meant for it to be a bit more stretched out, but... oh well.
> 
> Oh, right, how super attached are you guys with the idea that Harry has to have a face down with moldy-shorts? I mean, it's probably not going to happen on /anyone's/ watch.


	11. Sans Resume Must be Crazy Long By Now.

By the time Toriel and Sans came back inside, Frisk and Harry had finished their slice of pie. The two monsters were greeted by the sight of Harry sitting on Frisk’s shoulders, attempting to put the dishes in the sink. The plates clattered into the sink as Sans and Toriel dashed forward.

            “woah! wait a minute, stinker!” Sans reached Harry first and easily lifted him from Frisk’s shoulders, “it would have been easier to just leave the dishes on the counter, kiddo… you could say, it would have been a _piece of pie_.” Harry snorted and relaxed into Sans hold.

            “Yes, perhaps it is for the best to leave the dishes to people who can actually _reach_ the sink, my child.” Toriel said, ruffling Frisk and Harry’s hair.

            “Hey, Sans, I’ve got to head to Undyne’s in a bit. I think I’ve kept Papyrus waiting long enough.” Harry looked over at Frisk in surprise.

            “But Frisk, isn’t Undyne very… _insistent_ on catching you?” Frisk opened their mouth to reply but Toriel beat them to it.

            “I think _not_ , my child. At the very least, not alone. I need to contact an old friend and we will head to this… Undyne’s house. She is the captain of the Royal Guard, is she not?” everyone nodded mutely, “Then it would be a good idea to bring reinforcements. Asgore is a coward, but a weakling he is not. I would not be surprised if it took beating him senseless to convince him of his folly.”

            “uh… who do you need to get?” Toriel looked at Sans and smiled grimly.

            “The old captain of the Royal Guard. Wartime General Grillby. There may not have been any human casualties in the war, but with Grillby’s efforts, many monsters alive today owe him a great deal… let’s just say, humans are very _wary_ of an open flame.” Toriel said before scooping Harry into her arms, his small form almost hidden in her embrace. Harry, for his part, blushed and tucked his head under one of his mum’s ears.

            “grillby?!” Sans briefly considered if he had been living on the edge by not paying his tab for so long before shrugging it off. _I mean, what are the odds that it’s **him**? Hehe… yeah… probably better than the odds of there being two Grillbys. Son of a…_

\--Sans, just pay the freaking tab already.—

            Grillby had a relatively simple live. Every day he would wake up early, send his niece to school in the capital, open up his bar, and glare at Sans every time he comes in and orders but never really pays his tab off. _One of these days, that little piece of flint will pay his tab… soon, if I have anything to say about it._ Today, he didn’t glare as hard since he came by to feed a really small human child. He remembered his time serving as a wartime General. For the most part, he defended his fellow monsters from human attacks, since monster magic inherently damages the Soul before the body. Not that he couldn’t burn his enemies to char, he was a flame elemental, but gaining LOVE like that… he would never be able to face his friends after taking a life. Even in those times.

            Back on topic, the human child had a rather lean look to him. Not every human had the luxury of being fed well before the war, but it had been about three hundred years since the barrier went up. Surely humans have advanced enough that food wasn’t such a concern? He could recall there being a rather down trodden human teen, Abel, who looked a little better off than Harry. He was a bit odd, insistent on hiding his features from the monsters, but Grillby wasn’t a fool. Hated the yellow cloth star, belonging to some David human, Grillby thought he heard Abel say. His Soul was orange, Grillby recalled, and he seemed torn about leaving. Something about boxes being his dream, but the surface being too dangerous for a ‘Jew’… he fell sick with something a week later and died, his Soul delivered quietly to Asgore, with no monster the wiser, because of Ablel’s paranoia. Regardless, he wouldn’t say anything. Children, regardless of species, were innocent. And if Sans, of all monsters, was silently vouching for the small child, it was doubtful that this Harry was a bad egg. It was rather late, though most of his regulars were still enjoying the atmosphere, when the second most surprising thing to occur that day.

            The moment former Queen Toriel Dreemurr stepped into his humble establishment, ingrained training kicked in. Grillby stood at attention, his shoulders back and his shoes clacking together, his fist over his heart in standard salute from his military days. She hadn’t aged a day, which wasn’t surprising, since it was well known that it wasn’t time that aged a monster, but their willingness to live on, or rather, their lack of will to live. Within four decades, most of the original survivors of the war had children and passed on when they were independent, not able to handle the loss of their freedom and hope from the death of the royal human child a mere decade after being sealed underground.

            “At ease, General Grillby.” his Queen said and he instantly relaxed. Quiet murmurs erupted around him as everyone noticed Harry in the Queen’s arms. Another human walked in behind her with Sans, who looked a little _ashen_ for a skeleton. _Good, he must realize how… ill-advised it is to have a running tab with a war general but not intend to pay it off_. “You have done well, General, but there is no need to salute me. I gave up the title of Queen a very long time ago.”

            “With respect, your Majesty, there are very few monsters who lived during your reign that don’t still think of you as Queen. But I doubt you are here for a drink, your Majesty.” Queen Toriel giggled a little and reassuringly rubbed at Harry’s back. Harry, for his part, seemed to be incredibly shy with all the attention and blushed heavily as his face ducked into the Queen’s neckline.

            “No, General, I am not… I have learned from my past mistakes and I intent to rectify them. There is a situation that demands my attention, both on my honor as a mother and former Queen. It is time the waiting ended. I need to get to Asgore, but you’re one of the few remaining monsters from my tenure and the war, so I wished to see if you’d be willing to help me first.”

            “Anything and everything, my Queen.” Grillby said formally as the monsters in the bar shifted in curiosity. None of them had ever seen the former Queen before, “What is it you need to do?”

            “Asgore has waited long enough to free us. If he had wished to, we could have been free over two hundred years ago when the second human fell and passed away. All that is required to _pass_ through the barrier is one human Soul and one monster Soul… but he did not cross the barrier and collect the other Souls required to _break_ the barrier. Instead, the coward waited all this time for humans to fall down into the underground and die.” The former Queen gathered herself before continuing, “In our grief, my former husband and I had very different reactions. While he hid away, declaring every human that falls down here to die, I went back into what used to be the humble beginnings of our life in the underground. I met every human that fell, and I let them pass, believing for a few that it wasn’t my place to protect them. Believing it would be cruel to hold some of them back. And finally, that for one, they did not need my guidance or protection.

            “Just short of an hour ago, Sans the Skeleton removed a _parasite_ from the Soul of the human in my arms, Harry. Some foolish cur tried to escape their own mortality by splitting his very _Soul_ into pieces, one of which was in Harry. If not for his magic, he would have been consumed and corrupted. I know not if this is a… common trend among humans, but clearly something must be done. I know that after we were sealed down here, all of monster kind gained a rather… sour opinion of humans. I understand that, really I do. The opinion of magicians even more so… but this degeneration on the surface must be investigated and _stopped_. To mar one’s own Soul and taint the innocent… at one time, Monsters and humans lived side by side. Though incredibly different, there was a peace. Humans were capable of amazing things, particularly with their Determination, and with Monsters to help Humans see their true selves this Determination stood uncorrupted… It seems as though, without the mirror that Monsters can provide, humanity has managed to blind itself to the consequences of their actions. Such as this… _Tom Marvolo Riddle_. General Grillby, I wish for your help reaching Asgore, protecting Harry and Frisk along the way, and once we reach the surface—and we _will_ —bringing justice to Tom Riddle for his heinous actions.” Grillby felt his fire sputter in shock and disgust.

            He could remember what his Queen spoke of, that miraculous time that most monsters here did not know about. Monster ‘fights’ used to be quite different. These days, they are used to train monster children’s magic and teach them proper fighting technique. But it wasn’t always that way. They used to have a different purpose as well. Before the war, a monster fight was initiated as a _conversation_ using magic. It exposed a human’s Soul to force them to be honest. In a battle, odd text would appear depending on the two involved. On occasion, there would even be a ‘Judge’, chosen by magic to determine how worthy or innocent a human was by the stats of their very Soul. While humans were vulnerable to a monster’s magic, monsters were physically vulnerable in turn as well, lacking the physical constitution that a human possesses. Human magicians were incapable of performing this special kind of magic, so it wasn’t impossible to believe that without being forced to see the culmination of their sins, humanity could stoop to such a level.

            Surprisingly, Sans was a Judge himself. Lazy as he was, his magical prowess was no joke. Even taking his stats into consideration. He had been the Judge of the underground for most of his life. Thankfully, no other human had fallen in that time. Grillby drew his mind back to the matter at hand.

            “Of course, your Majesty. I imagine it would be somewhat troublesome to get past Undyne, the current Captain of the Royal Guard, without back up. And going through the Core will be time consuming since the express elevator to the castle broke down a few days ago and has yet to be repaired… I assume that Harry and Frisk are coming along?” a nod was given, “Then we should bring some refreshments. Waterfall won’t be an issue, unless you insist on going through the particularly wet parts, but Hotlands is a little too… hot for such a small child without water. I personally don’t touch the stuff, but I imagine Harry would get sick after a while without it.” Grillby pondered briefly over the seemingly amazed look on Harry’s face… it was as though… no one had taken his health into consideration before. _Well, that can’t bode well for his previous care takers if Queen Toriel—Former Queen, habits die hard it seems—has taken him in._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, JFC, that was ridiculously hard for me. I really struggled with figuring out exactly how monster culture works concerning human Souls. Like, Toriel was pissed because Harry was nearly consumed, but in my mind, there was an emphasis on it because of the fact that it was his /Soul/ that was in danger. So, I did this. Monsters may not hold human Souls to a very high standard, but it /is/ still the embodiment of their being. You don't just grab it and play hacky sack with it. They hold an odd amount of respect for humans in the game. I mean, with their corpses they gave them individual coffins with their names and a little Soul icon. That means that, somehow, they hold a respect for not only the fallen humans as an individual, but by their Soul as well. I mean, if you don't just write it off of being Asgore feeling bad. I also really like the fan art floating around concerning how the Soul mirrors the path you take: http://rexfire91.deviantart.com/art/Undertale-Choose-your-path-562538402
> 
> Also, low key headcanon of the fandom that Sans has yet another job and it's to judge humans before they get to Asgore. Like, seriously people, at this point, the only people down there with a steady job are the shop keepers (Grillby, rabbit chick, Gerson, ect.) and Sans just runs everything else between breaks and naps. I hope nothing breaks, because I have a feeling Sans is the handy man, and god knows when that shit will get fixed.
> 
> Oh, and on a last note here, we have a (this story specific) canon that Bravery Soul died because of illness and was the last human that /Grillby/ had seen. Not that this means Abel was the last human to fall before Frisk, just that Abel was the last one Grillby had seen personally. I like the idea that the items associated with a particular Soul color are in the area they died in. And that not every human died fighting a monster. I know I plan on having at least one just be really old. And I won't explain Abel any further really, since i'd like to see if you guys picked up on my not-so-subtle hinting at when and where Abel came from. And it will be revealed (but not totally important so I don't feel bad saying it now) that not only did the fallen humans not fall in real world chronological order, they also didn't just happen upon Mt. Ebott. Frisk and Harry for sure fell on Mt. Ebott, but most of the others were pulled from tears in space to the underground, completely by accident. For example, dark blue Soul (Integrity), is pinned down in my head as a Russian ballet dancer (who travelled with her mother who was also a ballerina when the company toured America) who tried to find work in her home country after the fall of Ballet Russes in 1929, going missing about a year later before she could join the dance company that sprang up afterwards in 1932 by the name of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.
> 
> The fallen humans aren't really that important plot wise, but it is an interesting note that these people were... well, people before they fell. The exact order of Souls isn't set in stone on either side of the timeline (besides Frisk, Harry, Abel, and unnamed Russian dancer), so have fun with that. All I can think of so far is that each human was pulled from very... chaotic times in human history. I'll take into account the items they had with them (Abel was too poor to become a boxer in such dangerous times, but he could afford pink looking gloves and a bandana to draw on) and decide what time period they came from accordingly). Well, anyway, that's all I can think about, so here you go! Enjoy!


	12. In Which Nerds be Nerds (or Otakus, whatever)

Dr. Alphys had cameras everywhere. Literally everywhere. Every public space and corner could be found somewhere on the monitor screen. At first, it was something of a security measure. If anything bad happened, Alphys would be alerted immediately. Then, after the… _incident_ , it became a way for her to still feel like she was a part of the community she had so thoroughly wronged. Mettaton had long since stopped visiting every week, instead coming by every few months for a check-up. Undyne… oh Undyne. She would visit once a week to watch anime or read manga that Alphys had. Her love for the entertainment was as extreme as her personality. Alphys naturally gravitated towards that extreme Determination. What was once mutual interest became admiration, which then became affection, until Alphys was deeply in love with Undyne.

            She felt like the main character of an anime or at least a supporting character. An unattainable crush, a secret backstory, and a dramatic side kick. All she needed was some sort of event to happen and catapult her way into something not daily plot life related. And then, one day, she saw it. A human leaving the Ruins. One of the few areas she didn’t have cameras in. The Ruins having been locked up tight since before she had the authority to place them. And then another, this one much smaller. In fact, she almost missed the small bundle making its way to Sans’ station. It was when she watched the former queen leave the Ruins as well that she knew her secret plan would have to be reworked.

            Alphys knew that she wasn’t that great with people, so it wasn’t difficult to predict that Frisk would just leave her behind and move towards the castle. Thankfully, it didn’t take much convincing for Mettaton to be on board about being a “human killing robot”. He actually was sort of designed as an aggressive defense robot after all. But with so many monsters coming with Frisk and Harry, that plan was clearly out. A rather lengthy conversation later with Mettaton and a new plan was in place. It was simple, nothing epic like she had secretly hoped for, but the guilt she felt on her back for lying was already disappearing. All she had to do was make sure none of the traps were activated before they left and keep in contact in case she missed one. Mettaton will introduce himself and see if the former queen would agree to an interview. _That_ would probably get more viewers than some ridiculous fight with a human.

            If everything goes according to plan, then everyone will be free… well, Alphys wasn’t sure what she’d do with that freedom. She couldn’t just leave _them_ … but Undyne wasn’t likely to stay underground for long… Alphys let out a sigh and watched the entourage take the Riverperson’s boat past the more wet parts of Waterfall. Considering Grillby was with them, it was probably for the best. _And Grillby is actually acting as a General again! How crazy was that? I mean, there are_ some _records of his rank, but reading about it and seeing it are two very different things!_

\--The question in science is not whether we can do it, but if we _should_.—

            Undyne was waiting at her house for Papyrus to show up for his cooking lesson. The nerd was strong, no doubt about that, but he was just too… _nice_. So, in her brilliant line of thinking, if she showed him a different hobby, maybe he’d give up on being in the Royal Guard. Well, that was what Undyne hoped for, anyway. But the nerd was already five minutes late. Seriously, what the fish sticks was keeping him? A brief flash of the human Undyne graciously Spared entered her head. If that— a knock echoed on her door. She jolted from her seat at the grand piano and walked over to the door.

            “Yo, Papyrus, what was keep—ing… you…” Undyne was speechless. There, in front of her, was clearly the former queen. She wasn’t born yet when Queen Toriel left, but Asgore did have a portrait locked away of the two and their former children. It was unmistakable.

            “Captain Undyne of the Royal Guard, I presume?” Undyne shook herself mentally as she took in the rest of the small crowd before her. She could see the human behind Toriel, Sans standing next to them, and Grillby standing next to a nervous Papyrus. She almost missed the small human child in Toriel’s arms. The kid seemed nervous as well, his eyes a shade of green Undyne had never seen before.

            “Uh… yeah, that’s me… What are… what is… umm…” It was a rare day that Undyne was caught speechless. But really, what else was there to do? Asgore drilled manners into her head as a small guppy. It would be exceedingly rude to yell at the human(s) for being here when they were clearly accompanied by royalty. Former or not.

            “Perhaps it would be best to discuss it inside?” Undyne had a feeling that her entire world view was going to change very quickly. As she let in the small group, she noticed the rather impressive scar on the smaller human’s head, hidden behind his bangs. _Uh… maybe I watch too much anime, but… I smell **secret backstory**_.

\--And Undyne’s mind was completely and utterly blown.—

            Of all the people gathered in Undyne’s house, only two of them were as dizzy with the sudden change as Undyne herself. Sans and Frisk. Neither one of them could believe how quickly everything changed. Usually, it didn’t matter what happened, everything went along the same path. No dialogue changes could force Undyne to stop fighting, or Alphys to open up sooner. But, here they were, practically set to finish everything by the end of the day.

            Frisk was almost shaking with excitement… and fear. Everything was so different already, so a very large part of Frisk was so very _hopeful_ that this would be the final chapter. That everyone could finally be free. But experience created a small and malicious bubble of fear. Of morbid cynical thoughts about how this was just one more run that would always be remembered by Sans and Frisk, because it was so different. Nothing more. Never The End.

            Sans was a bit more resigned. His emotions the exact opposite of Frisks. His fear of waking up tomorrow to Papyrus yelling at him for being late for work greater than his excitement and Hope for a bright future. But… if this really was the last Run… Sans didn’t think he would mind a single bit. He knew that not knowing exactly what would come next would be stressful and scary, but the prospect was also a bit exciting. There were other Runs that he would have wished for death more than a continued life. Genocide Runs. Runs where Papyrus died, regardless of how many others lived. Even with the vague ominous promise that they would encounter magical humans, like the ones that sealed them away in the first place, the future seemed a bit brighter… like, perhaps he should learn how to care again? _Oh, since when did you stop?_ A vaguely familiar voice echoed in his skull, the voice sounding proud and somehow sad at the same time.

            But besides that, the occupants of the house came to a decision. They would go to Dr. Alphys, where Undyne would stay due to the extreme heat, and get Harry a checkup. Alphys studied human Souls at one point, so logically, she should have the proper equipment to take a closer look at the damage Harry’s Soul took in the extraction of the… _parasite_. It is there that they will plan the fastest way to the capital. Monster kind has waited long enough for freedom. Even though Harry was a very young and _untrained_ magician, it was very much possible that his presence will unlock the barrier with the help of Frisk’s Determination. Toriel was secretly of the opinion that Chara’s presence within Harry would also be the key to freeing the underground. That and her distant memories of being locked away hinted that the magicians responsible for the barrier were very much out of their element and foolhardy.

            Magic, that is to say, human magic, typically didn’t react well with Monsters. Being made mostly of pure magic and Soul, curses and spells typically went right through Monsters. It may be somewhat painful, depending on the emotion being the spell, but rarely does it cause a Monster’s form to do more than flicker. If a Monster is incredibly weak or of a low HP, then their magic will… _pull_ an appropriate counterpart from a different dimension. She had witnessed, sometime before the war actually started, a Monster Switch counterparts after being struck by a very vicious spell. The Monster was usually so soft spoken, so it was a very big surprise for the magician to suddenly be facing a foul-mouthed individual with no compunctions with beating a stupid magician into the ground.

            Unless the Human and Monster were close, magic typically didn’t carry over the intended effect. The only magic that actually worked as it was supposed to was barrier magic. Which is probably why the magicians made the barrier to lock them away rather than try and cast spells until all of monster kind was dust. The only reason so many monsters died was because humans often fought with swords as well as wands and staffs. But Toriel shook herself of those dark memories. She had more important things to be doing than reminiscing of before the barrier. Soon she would be facing Asgore after what feels like centuries of separation. Depending on his actions, Toriel could see her forgiving nature working against so much bad history, and giving Asgore another chance at being husband and wife. But only time will tell, won’t it?

\--Knock knock! Who’s there? One. One who? _One_ way to find out! (No, seriously, open the door. Undyne’s about to pass out from heat exhaustion.)—

            Alphys had never felt so nervous in her life. Mettaton was dramatically monologue to himself and the Am—

            She was just so nervous! But she opened the door anyway and let the group in. Thankfully, her camera screens were set to normal again. Considering the former queen’s mothering demeanor, she probably wouldn’t appreciate the knowledge that Alphys had been basically stalking Frisk and Harry since they left the Ruins. Sans and Papyrus stuck together and looked at the camera screens while Undyne dashed upstairs to look at the manga. Grillby silently assessed the area with watchful eyes.

            “P-P-Please make yourself c-c-comfortable!” She squeaked out as Toriel approached her first.

            “Thank you for your openness to the situation, Dr. Alphys. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like for your expertise in a matter concerning Harry’s Soul.” Alphys froze, her mind flashing to the failed experiments just down—

            “O-Of course, your Majest—I mean, Mrs. Dreemurr! Or… um… Mrs. Toriel?!” Toriel laughed kindly as she readjusted the small human boy in her grip.

            “Just Toriel is fine, dear. I haven’t been queen or wife for a very long time.” Alphys blushed and shifted her feet a little.

            “O-Of course! L-Let me just set up a table for his examination and get some of my equipment. I’ll need to dust some of it off, it’s been so long, but I’ll only be a moment! Please follow me!” She cleaned off a table and motioned for Toriel to set Harry down. “S-So, why exactly do you want me to take a look, Toriel?” the former queen sighed and ruffled Harry’s hair, carefully exposing the scar on his forehead. Alphys gasped. It looked like some villain had attempted to crack open the poor child’s head! Undyne leaned over Alphys from behind her to get a better look. Harry seemed to blush harder in embarrassment.

            “That’s a hardcore scar, kid! Hopefully, you didn’t get it when practicing like I did!” Undyne said as she flipped the eye patch up to reveal a black eyeball with an eerie green iris and pupil. A pale blue scar cut straight up across her eye, starkly contrasting with her dark blue skin. “I mean, I can shoot lasers out of it now, but man! Did it hurt!” Harry looked up in amazement before flushing.

            “N-No… My Aunt and Uncle said I got it in a car crash when my parents died.” The dark look Toriel gave at the mention of Harry’s relatives indicated that he once said something just _slightly_ different. At once, Undyne and Alphys gave each other a look.

            “I-I’m going to get that equipment now!”

            “Y-Yeah, and I’ll be over here looking at the history books.” Alphys flushed at that but followed Undyne to the bookshelf anyway.

            “O-Oh my god!”

            “I know, right!” the two looked at each other and seemed to vibrate with excitement.

            **_“I smell secret anime backstory!”_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, wow! It's been a while since I've posted, huh! Man, you guys are patient! So, more exposition that I needed to get across! It sort of occurred to me that it would be really hilarious if curses and magic being cast sometimes caused monsters to switch with their other selves. So, this way, if I want, I can actually pull in Underfell, Underswap or whoever the hell I want to! How cool it that! HA! Oh, and expect some shit to go down! It's time for the infamous Potter luck to get Harry into some trouble! Haha! This'll be FUN!


	13. Visit Your Local Otaku to Check Your Soul Today!

Harry sat quietly on the bench, contemplating the sudden changes to his life.

_Yeah. They’re really… weird, but you’d be hard pressed to find better people for a family!_

            That… that was very true. Even though he’d never imagined such strange people, he had always dreamed of having a… well, of having a **better** family. The thought no longer seemed so taboo. _The Dursley’s are the best family a freak like me could ever hope for_. That used to be the thought that echoed in his head every time he looked across the street to see a father playing catch with his children. Or a birthday party that wasn’t viewed from the cracked open door to the cupboard that used to be his room. A birthday party that wasn’t about how much better Dudley was as a son than Harry Potter was as a nephew.

            A small part of him had always yearned for the warm hugs that Aunt Petunia used to give Dudley before scowling at him. Or the ever present support that Dudley had without a single word to be directed towards him. But this… these people… these monsters… Harry looked over at Undyne, who seemed to be enamored with a strange comic of some kind with a knight on the cover. At mum, who seemed to be talking to a… calculator? Grillby had walked outside to look at something. Sans and Papyrus were gawking at the largest tellie Harry had ever seen. Frisk seemed to be giving the doorway that Alphys went through a funny look.

            _Yeah… this is a much better family, though it doesn’t seem complete quite yet_.

            “hey, kid. how’re ya holding up?” Harry jolted out of his thoughts to see Sans standing in front of him. The skeleton seemed a little concerned, though Harry wasn’t sure how he could tell without the usual facial cues of a human face to look at.

            “I’m… I’m doing alright…” Harry tilted his head and looked down at his hands before glancing at Sans in curiosity. Sans looked slightly nervous, glancing around for a clue as to why Harry was suddenly looking at him like that.

            “uh… kid? any reason you’re tryin’ ta look right through me?” Harry flushed in embarrassment.

            “S-Sorry, Sans! It’s just… um…” Harry squirmed for a moment, wondering how to put this, “I was just really curious how you work! I-I-I mean, like, without muscles… or um… tendons…” Harry wasn’t completely familiar with that last word, but he knew it helped move the human skeletal system. Harry’s hands grasped at air as he stared down at his feet.

            “heh. _magic_ , kid. but, if you’re still curious, why don’t you take a closer look?” Sans said as he pulled his left hand out of his pocket and placed it palm side up in front of Harry. Harry looked up in shock. _Just another difference between my new and old family. Asking questions like that would have gotten me slapped_. Chara didn’t even chime in as he gently grasped Sans bony hand.

            It was a lot bigger than his, clearly. At first, he thought it was exactly like his hand, but then he noticed small differences. In his own hand, it was skin and muscle that made a palm, but for Sans, it was because the bones fused together. The bones were also rather warm and had a slight give to them that Harry couldn’t quite figure out. Harry also doubted that his own finger bones had slight claw-like points that were tinted a faint blue. Gently, Harry bent the fingers into a fist and back out again, finding that, relaxed as Sans was, there was still a slight resistance the same way there was in a human hand. If Harry concentrated, he could even feel a sort of pulse, but it registered a little differently than how he would sense a pulse in a human. Like, rather than feeling the faint heartbeat through touch, it was like a faint vibration that he could feel within the bones.

            Concentrating a little more, he began to sense something else in that pulse as well. Humor. Amusement. Fondness. Deeper within Harry sensed something quite different. Sadness—no, more like depression. Anger. Hope. The feeling of giving up began to overwhelm Harry, tears pricking his eyes.

_Woah, there Harry! Pull back! Harry!_

            “woah, there kid. don’t look too hard. it’s just the bare _bones_ there.” Sans’ voice rumbled in Harry’s ears. The world snapped back into focus as Harry sharply looked up into Sans’ eye sockets. The soft white lights were gentle, as always, but dimmed in concern. “kid?” Harry threw his arms around Sans’ rib cage and tried to make sense of what he had felt. His body quickly engulfed in a returned embrace. Warmth filled him. Sans never got angry. He was quick to console Harry when it mattered. Love filled Harry at the unconditional affection. Those emotions he had felt… they were Sans’ emotions, but what could Harry do? He was a kid. Whatever caused Sans to feel such emotions was probably way out of Harry’s depth.

_Just get a happy ending, Harry. That’s all anyone down here wants._

_But how do I do that?_ Harry pulled out of the hug and looked around. How could he make all these amazing people happy when not even his best could make his blood relatives happy?

_Well… there… there is one thing that needs to happen._

            But before Chara could say what it was, mum and the strange calculator rolled over to them.

            “Mettaton, this is Harry and Sans. Harry. Sans. This is Mettaton. A celebrity host. He was asking me if it was possible to have an interview before we continued to Asgore. I agreed on the condition that neither Harry nor Frisk be forced to participate.” Mettaton rolled closer to Harry, a pixilated exclamation mark dominating the screen.

            “Oh, darling! You are positively adorable!” Mettaton’s voice had a slight tin-quality to it, but was otherwise quite deep, “I agreed with Toriel here that it would be best to save an interview with you and Frisk until after hers. Since you have magic, it’s best that the people here positive press from the former queen herself before appearing! But with your adorable features, that might not even be necessary! Oh! Alphys, dear! Do you have everything you need?” Mettaton whirled around to address the shy yellow scientist.

            “Oh! Y-Yes, Metta! I didn’t really need much! Just this scanner should be all I need!” Alphys said, holding up the strangest device Harry had ever seen. It looked like one of those hand held scanners that they use in supermarkets, but with a screen of some kind attached to the top part. “Okay, Harry, this may feel a little odd, but all it will do is examine your Soul. T-Toriel, can you pull out his Soul for me?” mum put a paw in front of Harry’s chest and gently guided Harry’s Soul out into the open. Mettaton gave a soft gasp of appreciation as Alphys’ machine began to beep wildly. Alphys fiddled with it for a few moments before nodding for mum to put his Soul back.

            “Well, what are the results?” mum asked softly. Alphys’ brows furrowed in confusion.

            “W-Well, it’s a little strange. I see what you mean by magical protection. T-The data indicates that it was placed on Harry at a very young age. Possibly before his Soul took on a color of its own! I see some structural damage from the removal of the… _Splinter_. But that will heal on its own! Possibly by taking ambient magic from his surroundings. My data also indicates that his Soul is slowly shifting colors now that the protection is no longer needed for its original purpose. A combination of the Splinter and the protection dyed his Soul red, or rather, pink. But without the influence of the Splinter the protection is becoming dormant. I expect Harry will experience odd mood swings or magic changes as his Soul settles onto his true color.” Alphys rambled on, but quickly changed course at the panicked expression on Harry’s face,

“N-Not that you’ll change all that much! In battle, monsters can temporarily change the color of a human Soul, but it doesn’t actually change the human themselves! Just limits their actions for a short while! Pink is for Love, which is a very strong and powerful emotion, so I doubt that your true color is all that far away from that! Actually, I remember reading some documents a long time ago! Did you know there are three distinct colors that basically mean Love but are different types? Yeah, pink is Love that comes from Determination, which happens to be red. It denotes a very fierce type of Love, usually humans with this color love strongly.

            There’s a sort of pale green color that comes from Kindness, which is just a very vivid green, kind of like your eyes. Humans with that particular color hold a more gentle and forgiving love. Not to say it isn’t strong, but humans with this color or more likely to have a lot of people close to their heart. Statically speaking, humans with this color are also more likely to be perfectly happy just taking care of others rather than settling down. The last one is a very pale blue that comes from Patience, which is a light blue. Humans with this color usually settle on a romantic interest early on and slowly build a relationship with them. They’re also very forgiving of others faults and are willing to help others work things out!” Alphys rambled on. It was clear that she was very knowledgeable about human Souls.

_Yeah… surprisingly so._

            “Well, regardless of what color your Soul becomes, we will be here for you, Harry.” mum said gently with a smile. “So, he will recover just fine?”

            “Oh! Yes, he’ll be fine! He’s really young and has a very supportive family to look after him. Now, Sans, about that Splinter…” Alphys began and gently steered Sans away to talk about something. Grillby came in and beckoned the mum over to talk about something else. Now, it was just Harry and Mettaton.

            “Oh, darling, for the moment, our Souls almost match! I’m actually a ghost possessing this amazing body built by Dr. Alphys, so the energy of the machine makes my Soul appear hot pink! Isn’t that nice?” Mettaton gushed with a dramatic posture. A small ding echoed from inside Mettaton and another exclamation point appeared on the strange screen that doubled as his face, “Oh dear! I just received a reminder for the filming of my next show! Tootles deary!” Mettaton said before dashing off. Now, it was just Harry sitting on a bench. Harry knew he was supposed to wait right where he was, but a strange tugging sensation guided his eyes towards the doorway Frisk had been staring at earlier. Frisk was now looking at the tellie screens with Papyrus, and everyone else was occupied.

            If Harry was more practiced in magic, he would have identified the sensation he was experiencing as a call for help, cast at a deep magical level. Or at least, most of it was. As a young and untrained magician, he shouldn’t have felt it at all, but the lingering presence of a red haired woman changed a lot of things. What was left of Lily Potter was going to fulfill the Life Debt to **[Redacted]** and ensure Harry the best family possibly since her own blood had failed. But to do that, Harry had to learn an awful truth. To give everyone a happy ending, Harry would have to do something _magical_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more, I feel like i'm using a lot of exposition rather than natural dialogue. But this needed to be explained. There's a very likely possibility that Harry will end up with a pale green Soul, BTW, for the Kind Love. But i'm just sitting in my own little bubble with my own little thoughts. Any questions or recommendations are welcome regardless! Like, if you think it's a good idea for Harry to have a orange Soul, please do tell. You likely know my own thoughts on the matter, but some of my best written moments actually came from something someone else said! I can't think of everything, and sometimes I forget to consider shit. Like, it literally just occurred to me that all that monitoring stuff that the fandom believes is in Dumble's office should at least be beeping or something. I can't recall if he actually had that shit or not. I've read the entire series, yes, but my memory is not photographic and that's an entire series i'd have to scour to find out. Anyway, so Harry's going into the True Lab! Lily, WTF?! This is a horrible idea! The hell could Harry possibly do?! ;)
> 
> Something fucking amazing, I promise.
> 
> Anyway, Enjoy!


	14. Ashes to Ashes... Dust to Dust... True Lab Edition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 3/27/16 for Snowy/Lemon Bread confusion. Sorry about that. I wrote it at like... four in the morning? Thank you for pointing out that mistake. Hahaha.... that was a little embarrassing, but hey, fixed it!
> 
> Edited 10/16/16 for confusion of month Dumbledore left Harry.

The doorway opened up to reveal an elevator, which Harry quietly entered. The soft hum filled the air as Harry questioned what he was doing once more.

_Seriously, Harry, you really shouldn’t go down here alone. It’s not too late. Go get Frisk or Sans or… or… well, anyone! Seriously! GO BACK!_

            But Harry refused. A deep seated need filled him. A desire to know what was down here. A drive to explore. Harry Potter was, for the first time, filled with Curiosity. When the elevator opened up he was met with a rather dark looking medical area. He assumed it was another level of Alphys’ lab, but it did have a startling resemblance to hospitals in horror movies.

_Harry! Ffffffff…… fine. You’ll want to get the keys. There are four colored keys. They go into the colored slots to power the door to the generator… and Harry? When I tell you to do something, please do it. You’re going to need all the help you can get down here._

            _What are you talking about, Chara?_

_You’ll see._

\--People often find themselves curious, but curiously enough, it would take a very strange set of circumstances to make someone _Curious_. Even if just a little.—

            Albus Dumbledore was a very busy man. He held the prestigious position of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Headmaster of Hogwarts, and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. This, naturally, took a very large chunk of his time. So, it was a very tiring day that Albus finally went to his office, in the summer break of Hogwarts, to look over accumulated mail and associated documents.

            His office was filled with various nick-knacks from his remarkably long life. Some were small keepsakes from previous students, or books from colleagues, and a few were items of only a single purpose. To keep track of Harry Potter. Yes, Harry Potter, the remarkable young boy who was partially in his care. He had not seen young Harry since that unfortunate morning in November, due to his notoriety, it was impossible to take time off to visit without attracting attention to his current location.

            He was, of course, aware that he had handled that day with less… finesse than he should have. A letter was hardly a proper way to notify the next of kin about a tragic death, after all. But, they were still Harry’s blood relatives. Magical protections (that would only be strengthened by blood) aside, they had the most right out of anyone to take care of Harry. If he had tried to take Harry in himself, which would have been very conducive to training Harry for the inevitable return of Voldemort, outcry would have occurred. He was not kin, they’d say, and he had so much on his plate, so why not let another family take young Harry in? A family who can afford to spend time raising the Boy Who Lived? That would not do. Voldemort had followers everywhere. There was no telling which ‘well meaning’ family could secretly be planning to murder Harry or worse.

            So, it was with some reluctance that he placed Harry with the Dursleys. They may not be the most… upstanding muggles (at least from McGonagall’s opinion), but at least Harry would grow up safe from harm or with undue pressure for his fame. If… Albus felt heavy at the thought—but if his Deputy Headmistress was indeed, correct. If the Dursleys were distasteful and resentful of young Harry… Well, that’s what the instruments were for (though several back up plans did exist in such a case. A more understanding and empathetic Harry, not to mention withdrawn, did have it’s perks). They monitored Harry’s physical health, carefully adjusted to take into account a rowdy nature (James was hardly a paragon of good behavior in his youth). If Harry were to experience a sudden accident (or a more… sinister event), then they would alert Albus or Fawkes, who would then tell Albus.

            What Albus never took into account was the more subtle nature of abuse Harry would suffer. If that fateful trip to America had not taken place, he would have realized this mistake but ultimately chalked it up to poor handling and cross out the plans that were no longer viable. But it did. Had Harry not been dropped off at Mt. Ebott, willingly by Petunia, the instrument (That looked an awful lot like a pendulum) would have alerted Fawkes, who would have then alerted Albus.

            But Harry was willingly abandoned at Mt. Ebott, one of the most magically mysterious sites in America, and possibly the world. Despite being a magic dead zone (due to the barrier nullifying ambient magic on the outside and trapping all magic within, and by extension, all the monsters) a curious magical effect occurred in the resident town. Everyone inexplicably knows of Mt. Ebott’s reputation within the town borders, but once someone goes beyond there, they will find themselves unable to recall exact details of the legend. Just some vague notion that the mountain was strange. Historically speaking, nothing every really took place there besides a few disappearances. Nothing to hint at some ancient war. Not even resulting of Native American conflict. There was literally nothing to give truth to the tall tale of Mt. Ebott.

            Naturally, people talk. Oftentimes, whatever mysterious magic prevents people from recalling exact details, will transmit from person to person through every retelling. After a few centuries, there is literally no single person in the United States that doesn’t have this small ‘tag’ of magic. The American Confederation of Magic (ACM) never could make heads or tails of it. It didn’t really do anything. It just seemed to… exist. In fact, it refused to spread beyond the North American border to places such as Asia or Europe. So, it was marked as an odd anomaly and left at that.

            This strange ‘tag’ immediately attached itself to the Dursleys, as well as Harry, which was then repurposed by the special protections Harry had. When Harry fell into the underground, Harry inexplicably received the same treatment as any rumor of Mt. Ebott. Harry Potter was, incredibly enough, adopted by the barrier of Mt. Ebott. The people of Europe did not suddenly forget about Harry Potter, of course not. He just… faded out of their concerns. After all, it _had_ been nearly nine years. They’d see the lad soon enough when he went to Hogwarts.

            So, any devices Albus, or anyone else for that matter, had to track Harry Potter in anyway simply stopped working. A magical sort of message was received by all devices. Depending on the nature of the device, the message was something like “Harry is safe and no longer your concern”. For one cult (which would have later became the very inappropriate fan base for an eleven year old child) the single device they somehow managed to get their hands on exploded with a very hearty “BUGGER OFF!” shouted for all to hear in a five mile radius.

            So, it was a very concerned Albus Dumbledore who asked in horror—

            “What happened to Harry Potter?!”

\--I prefer Albus “Too busy to really take in the little pieces of the chessboard” Dumbledore to Evil Incarnate Albus Dumbledore.—

            Sans was in the middle of a discussion with Alphys about the Splinter when he felt it. That nagging feeling that something was happening that he wouldn’t appreciate. Like the time Papyrus filled all his ketchup bottles with spaghetti sauce or the timeline where Frisk/Chara only killed Papyrus just to taunt him in the last corridor about Sparing everyone _but_ him. His head whipped around to do a quick headcount. Frisk was standing with Papyrus looking at all the camera relays around the underground, Tori and Grillby were talking about something by the door, Undyne was enamored with a manga by the bookshelf, and he faintly recalled Mettaton running off to do a cooking show? That was everyon—no… no it wasn’t…

            “Where’s Harry?!” Sans said, beads of sweat forming along his skull as he looked around for the kid. Alphys’ eyes went wide as she sputtered and looked around. Toriel whipped around at that cry in panic.

            “What?!” she said in horror but Harry was nowhere in sight. Frisk gasped and looked hard at the camera screens.

            “He hasn’t left the building or we would have seen it, mom! Where could he have--!” Frisk stopped mid-sentence and slowly looked at the doorway to Alphys’ ‘True Lab’. Alphys let out a horrified shriek.

            “H-H-He can’t have gone in there! I-I-It’s not safe! T-The A-Amalgam—“ Alphys slapped a paw over her mouth in horror. Toriel looked over at Alphys in concern.

            “What was that, Dr. Alphys?” it was a long moment before she answered.

            “The Amalgamates, Toriel. The Amalgamates will try and attack him, thinking he has food. It’s almost feeding time.” Alphys said with a helpless gesture towards the bag of dog food next to the lab door.

            “And what exactly is an Amalgamate?” Alphys let out a sardonic chuckle.

            “What _aren’t_ Amalgamates?” Alphys looked near tears and let out a shuddering breath, “They are my greatest failure, Toriel. My greatest shame. I only wanted to help, but I ruined them instead. On my bad days, I wonder if it would have been better to let them die.” Undyne had dropped her manga and slowly approached Alphys, who flinched when Undyne rested a gentle hand on her shoulder.

            “…Let who die?” Alphys looked down in shame.

            “The monsters who fell down…”

\--Well, that’ll go over well, I’m sure.—

            Harry followed Chara’s instructions and found the green key in a tub, trying not to be afraid of the ominous shadow behind the curtain that seemingly had no source once moved. He held onto the key and carefully walked out of the room. The small screens he had run across told of Alphys’ experiments, though Chara said they would summarize all of them if Harry preferred. Which he did, but he also read them as he went along anyway.

_Well, you see Harry, Monsters are made of Magic and Dust, their magic giving them form from the dust (Supposedly they’re also made of love and compassion, but that’s not really relevant here). When a monster dies, they become dust once more, their Soul and magic no longer keeping them together. Determination is what causes human Souls to persist after death, but monsters don’t have enough… physical stuff to withstand it in great amounts. It disrupts their magic, which again, is what gives them a proper physical form from little to nothing. So, when Alphys injected “fallen” monsters, or monsters who are in the process of dying but have yet to pass, they stopped dying. At first, they were fine, but shortly afterwards, the monsters began to… well, melt. They didn’t have enough physical matter to handle the Determination, so sought out more of it. This caused them to fuse with other melting monsters and become… Amalgamates. They lost who they were and are now a mish-mash of the various monsters they used to be, also lacking their previous intelligence._

            Harry felt horrible as Chara and the small electronic screens told him about the tragedy Alphys and the ‘fallen’ monsters faced. His eyes watered as he sniffled a little. He walked into the next room only to encounter one of the very creatures he had been told about.

**The Amalgamate appears to be losing itself…**

            Harry was horrified. It looked like a horrible parody of Snowdrake with two Vegatoids for eyes.

 _Harry… that… that’s Snowdrake’s mom… and about 16 other monsters. Just…_ a pained sigh echoed in Harry’s head. _Just tell her… them some jokes, okay? I-I usually call them Snowy._

            Something painful seemed to stab Harry’s heart as his Soul floated out of his chest in a gentle pink ray of light. Harry sucked in a deep breath and smiled softly.

            “S-So how ‘bout that weather? _Snow_ joke!” a strange echoic laugh filled the air as Snowy calmed down. A barrage of attacks that were nowhere near Harry passed by harmlessly. “You know what I love about people who are prompt? They’re _snow_ -flake!” again, Snowy calmed down with a small chuckle. The attacks were even less dangerous than before. Harry sucked in a deep breath, mind flashing to Snowdrake. “You’re family misses you _snow_ much… sorry, that wasn’t a very good joke… but it’s still true.” Snowy stopped moving entirely, small tears seemed to fall from the Amalgamate. Harry shot forward, running entirely on instinct as he embraced the very viscous form of Snowy. His body and Soul were sucked in a little as Harry thought about how much he wished he could help Snowdrake’s mother. How much he wished he could have embraced his own mum. In that moment, Harry would give anything to do what no one could for him. Reunite a broken family. Distantly, he heard a soft feminine voice, entirely different from Chara.

**_Oh, Harry, my sweet baby boy. You already have a family. But these poor creatures can still be helped._ **

            He felt a drain on his energy as a crooning hum filled his ears.

_Oh my god! Harry, how did you do that?! Snowy! They… they…_

            Harry pulled back from the hug and gasped in surprise. Snowy was no more.

            “Harry?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I can't wait to see what you guys guess as to what just happened! I mean, it's really obvious to me, but I also have the general plan already laid out in my head, so whatever. I talked to my friends about the whole "Soul color" thing, when one of them said "What about Curiosity? Like, a burnt yellow color, so it's not Justice." and I haven't been able to let it go. Like, it makes so much FREAKING SENSE TO ME! More than Determination! If that little shit had just NOT, he would have at least three book plots never happen, but NOPE! JUST HAD TO KNOW, DIDN'T YOU HARRY!? But i'm still ubber attached to Kind Love. So *shrugs* maybe both? IDK, not solid yet. Also, I looked on Pottermore about the wands, because that's the first big wizard thing Harry experiences, and I already knew Harry would at least need a different wand wood, since Holly "Works most happily for those who may need help overcoming a tendency to anger and impetuosity". And we all know Harry needed that shit during his later years of schooling. But now that he doesn't have to worry about voldie in his head, that likely won't be as severe. That and he has a very supportive family now. I'm partial to a possibility of Dogwood (Though he won't be able to cast silently unless I tweak it) for comedic purposes but pear, redwood, spruce, or willow are also good ideas. I also like the idea some fanfics have where Harry has to use materials from odd sources (Like he was adopted by demons so he needs to have that incorporated into his wand somehow). But, in all likelihood, he won't have Holly for his want. Fun fact, I took the quiz and apparently i'd have a Poplar wand with a dragon heartstring at a whopping 12 inches with rigid flexibility. But it also said i'd be in Gryffindor, so whatever. (Personally I think i'd be a Hufflepuff or maybe Ravenclaw). Anyway, if you want a quick look before putting your two-cents in, here's the link to the wands. https://www.pottermore.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/wand-woods
> 
> Not sure if you need a profile to view, but i'm pretty sure you'll be okay. Also, this story is not incorporating anything that isn't in the Harry Potter series from Philosopher's Stone to Deathly Hallows. AKA, no "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" or "Cursed Child". Mostly because there isn't terribly much information out there yet. So, don't expect me to put in Ivymore (pretty sure that's how the American school is spelled) or anything like that unless it's a cameo thing.
> 
> Also, I really would prefer not to have Determination as Harry's Soul, as I just really don't see Harry as incredibly Determined on his own. It's always an immediate danger or his friends that spur him on rather than himself. (Like we see with Frisk). But i'm not totally shut down on any of the other colors, so make a good enough case and we'll see.
> 
> One last note, I almost got a little teary at the end of this chapter and narrowly forgot that as far as Harry knows /now/ Lily Potter was a drunk. He doesn't want to go back to the Dursleys, but the idea of his birth parents coming back (drunks or not), is still incredibly persuasive.


	15. Science Magic and Live with Mettaton

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ignore the fact that I changed the chapter title three times... -_-

Since there was a very good possibility that Harry could be in danger, Alphys explained everything in the short elevator ride. How she was tasked with finding a way to harness the power of Souls to break the barrier, which lead to experiments with Determination on fallen monsters. What happened to the fallen monsters after that was particularly difficult for Alphys to speak of. Undyne, in a rare moment of subtlety, wrapped an arm around Alphys’ shoulder as the elevator doors opened. She even briefly mentioned testing Determination on a flower that mysteriously disappeared, the significance of it only caught by Sans and Frisk, who could recall every other timeline where Flowey revealed himself. Though Sans had trouble recalling most of the battle with Asriel as Absolute God of Hyper Death due to being absorbed at the time.

            Alphys nervously glanced at the two different pathways, unable to discern which way Harry went. It was then they heard it. The sound of magic attacks being used. They went to the left, Papyrus and Undyne leading with Toriel being close behind due to their much longer legs. What they found astounded them.

            Harry was embracing what appeared to be Snowdrake’s mother, her form slowly detaching from a white mass with two Vegatoids slowly sliding down as well. Magic, a more wild and sincere magic than any of them had ever encountered filled the air in a thick fog. Toriel was naturally the first one to react.

            “Harry?!” She dashed forward and scooped up the small boy who seemed shocked that they were even there. “What were you thinking?!” she demanded, carefully scouring over Harry for any possible injuries. Alphys walked past Toriel and looked closely at the creature that used to be an Amalgamate.

            “I-I don’t believe it! H-Harry, how did you do this?! You’ve somehow redirected their Determination, neutralizing the effects and allowing them to regain their previous forms! They even seem to have trace amounts of human magic! I imagine that the monsters that wish to remain will find themselves back to normal in a few hours… the… the ones that do not will find themselves either existing as an amalgamate still or dust.” Alphys seemed torn between happiness and sorrow, she turned towards Harry with tears in her eyes, “Thank you, Harry, for fixing my mistakes… perhaps you can help the others?” she quickly corrected herself when Toriel gave her a look, “I-I mean, later and in a more controlled environment! Human magic might be the missing factor in keeping a more controlled revival of monsters that fall down! I-I mean, monsters won’t suddenly be immortal, that’s just not possible, but we can save monsters that fall ill with more research!” Undyne laughed and clapped Alphys on the back.

            “HA! That’s what I love about you, Alphys! You’re so passionate about your nerdy crap!” the frozen look of shock on Undyne and Alphys’ face was priceless. Frisk leaned over to Sans and snickered.

            “My OTP, I swear!” this caused the two to turn a very interesting shade of red before catching each other’s eyes and blushing even more in realization.

            “Perhaps we can go back upstairs and talk about this later?” Grillby said with a small chuckle. They all agreed, Alphys staying behind to secure a place for the ex-Amalgamate to safely complete the transformation back into monsters. Icehen, Snowdrake’s mother as it turns out, and the two Vegatoids the first to be free from the Amaglamate form and released after a thorough check-up. Icehen clucking a thank you to Harry and Toriel on the way out.

            “Thank you, _snow_ much, Harry! You’re welcome to come by anytime, if you get my _drift_!” Icehen laughed as she left for Snowdin. Toriel hadn’t let Harry down since she picked him up. So, it came as no surprise to Harry when she turned towards him with a rather upset look.

            “Harry… you did a good thing helping those monsters, but you understand I’m still very upset with you for running off like that, don’t you?” Harry looked down in shame and nodded his head.

            “I-I’m not sure why I went down there, I just felt this… this strange feeling.” Harry put a hand to his chest, “In here. That I needed to go down there.” Toriel looked at Harry for a long moment before sighing.

            “Was it Chara, my child?” she asked softly, not noticing the sharp look Sans gave Harry.

            “No. Chara was trying to get me to go back, but it was like… like I _needed_ to do something.” Sans exchanged a very confused look with Frisk. As soon as he could get Harry alone, he was going to ask about Chara. Sans just figured it wouldn’t be a wise decision to question Harry about possible homicidal tendencies with Tori in earshot.

            “Then it was likely your magic, child. I’m no expert in human magic, so it’s entirely possible that you were compelled through magic to help them. But next time you ever get a… _feeling_ , please don’t go alone. I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you or Frisk.” Harry nodded his head and wrapped his arms around Toriel’s neck.

            “I promise, mum…”

\--That interview had to happen sometime, Toriel. At least Alphys is watching Harry.—

            “AND HELLO, MY BEUTIES! This is Mettaton reporting live with the former queen, Toriel Dreemurr! Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview, Toriel.” Mettaton said from behind a large desk to Toriel, who sat in a large and comfortable chair. Supposedly, the room they were in was a replica of some famous human talk show.

            “It’s a pleasure to be here, Mettaton.” Toriel was the very picture of regal poise. The view count was skyrocketing every minute that Mettaton was on air with the former queen.

            “You know, Toriel, I have it on good authority that despite being centuries since you’ve appeared, the monsters who recognize you still call you ‘your majesty’. Would you mind sharing with our lovely audience why you left?” Mettaton asked politely, aware that it was likely an unpleasant topic for Toriel.

            “Well, a few years after the barrier went up, Asgore and I were happily married with a child…” Toriel took a moment to compose herself before continuing, “Who found a human that had fallen. The human child was taken into our family and the entire underground had such _hope_. Those were some of the happiest years of my life… but then, one day, the human child fell sick. Their only wish was to see the flowers of their village—“ Toriel stopped to accept a tissue from Mettaton, who quickly intercepted.

            “Oh, you mean that story is true? The story about how your son carried them through the barrier and then when he returned he…” Toriel nodded and took in a deep breath.

            “Yes… we were devastated. The entire underground was. My husband… Asgore, was furious. He declared that every human that fell from that day on was to have their Soul collected so he could break the barrier and get revenge… I could not abide by that but he would not be swayed. Neither of us would be swayed from our decisions in out grief. So, I went back to the first settlement monsters made in the underground, in the Ruins, and lived there all this time. Every human that fell eventually went past me. Some were adults, capable of looking after themselves. Others not so much, but proved themselves very Determined…” Toriel paused a moment and Mettaton naturally put in what wasn’t said.

            “Well, I also heard that _two_ humans fell recently. I actually met them briefly, but you went outside the Ruins with them. Care to share, dear?”

            “Frisk was so Determined, I could not stand in the way, but Harry went after them to give them a jacket, due to how cold Snowdin is. A quick word with Frisk convinced me to leave the Ruins and look after Harry like a proper mother should. He’s only eight and so very small… he’s also a magician, young and untrained.” Mettaton’s screen flashed with an exclamation mark.

            “I thought that was just a tall tale the other monsters spread! So, is it true that he also had a… _splinter_ of another Soul in his own? One that tried to devour his Soul?!” Toriel nodded.

            “Yes. By now, it is likely known to the entire underground what monsters used to do before the Great War. Monsters used to be a balance and a mirror of human Souls. To assist and work together for a better future. Any anger monsters may have about young Harry being a magician should be swept aside. He is just a child, unknowing of his heritage, and has already risked his very Soul for monsters in need. You have heard of the returning monsters, have you not? A human mage’s desire, a child’s deepest wish, can be granted under the strange nature of their magic. It is thanks to Harry that monsters can now look forward to some of their family members returning home. In fact, he is with Dr. Alphys in finding a cure for ‘falling down’ due to illness with his magic right now.” Mettaton gasped dramatically.

            “OH MY! Well, I hope we can have him on the show some day in the future, with your permission of course! But before we go, I’d like to ask one more question…” Toriel nodded in acceptance, “What are your plans now?” Toriel smiled.

            “To go and break the barrier using the very magic that made it. Human magic. No more sacrifices of innocent human Souls. No more waiting for the day another human will fall down and provide another Soul to free my people. Though Harry is untrained, the Barrier is already so close to being destroyed. With a small bit of direction, Harry’s magic should break it entirely. And when we are free, I intend to put some sense into Asgore. It’s been centuries since our children passed. The humans responsible are long gone. Revenge is a senseless task that I refuse to abide by.” A moment of silence rang throughout the underground.

            “Well, then! I wish you and Harry luck! That’s all for the moment, my lovelies! See you again soon!” and with that the cameras were off and Mettaton fell back in his chair in surprise. “Wow… so many viewers! Almost ten thousand!... I didn’t even know there were that many monsters in the underground!” Toriel giggled and patted her eyes dry.

            “Well of course there’s more than just a _few-_ ers!” Mettaton dramatically groaned.

            “You and Sans will be the death of me, I swear!” after a moment of pause Mettaton and Toriel began to laugh.

\--Sans and Toriel aren’t really my OTP (I like the idea of redeemed relationship with Asgore and Toriel), but they _are_ my OTPP. One True Pun Pair. Pun buddies for the win!—

            Alphys was rather busy extracting small samples of Harry’s magic to exam and hopefully make a synthetic version of to have on hand in case of emergencies. Thankfully, it didn’t take much of his magic to stabilize the Amalgamates. So many monsters were starting to remember themselves… it was with a heavy heart that Alphys accepted that the small stack of boxes with dust was a result of the monsters choice and not her own fault. They would personally be delivered to their families at later date.

            Oddly enough, Endogeny was perfectly happy. Probably because of the pack mentality that dogs had. A few left the Amalgamate, causing Endogeny to become slightly smaller, but remained the same otherwise. Well, they also looked more like a very large and furry sheep dog now and less of a gooey creature. With real fur, shadow markings where there used to be dark outlines of other dogs, and an actual face. Nothing remarkable about the face, but the nose seemed a bit _too_ dark and looked like a void of some kind at a distance. Endogeny was also more intelligent than before, still preferring to bark over using speech. At least the drooling was down forty percent. Alphys was getting tired of having to launder her lab coats so often.

            Harry himself was actually laying down taking a nap. A small exam of his Soul indicating it was a little farther along towards the true color and revealing a strange marking where the Splinter used to be. It appears as though some of the Amalgamation goo got into it, causing a small cartoonish lightning bolt to stand out in stark relief. Once his Soul finishes changing color, that part should also change color from something other than white. Alphys had a few theories that the small bit of monster/amalgamation goo could cause him to become capable of a limited array of monster magic. Souls were such a tricky thing after all.

\--Is it weird if I favor Soul scars so much?—

            _Chara was enjoying the calm atmosphere of Harry’s inner world but seriously considering expanding it. Staying in one place never felt right, but this room would always be the heart of it. It was in this small room that Chara suddenly felt a presence. It wasn’t Harry, since he passed off into a deep sleep some time ago to recover. They turned around to see a beautiful human woman with Harry’s eyes._

 _“Uh… hello?” what sort of construct is this?! The lady seemed so oddly_ real _for Harry’s mind._

_“Hello, Chara. I have to thank you for all that you’ve done for Harry. I know I forced you into this situation, but you’ve done so well.” Chara froze. The lady had the same accent as Harry. Carefully, Chara considered the fiery red hair and familiar eyes._

_“Who are you?!”_

_“I am what is left of Lily Potter. A faint memory of a loving mother mixed with the desperate magic to save a baby. Everything else has already moved on to the next life, in that way, we are very much the same.” Lily Potter sat down on the soft bed next to Chara and smiled._

_“So what Harry’s relatives said was a lie? I mean, I’m not surprised, but seriously?”_

_“Yes. Determination is what kept me awake for almost nine years, but without the pressing need to shield Harry from Tom Riddle’s Soul, I am no longer needed. I approach you in hopes that you will deliver a message to Harry’s new family. Give them my blessings and what truly happened that night. Tell them of the prophecy attached to Harry. Warn them of Albus Dumbledore, the man who means well, but not always for the little people.” Lily cupped Chara’s face and kissed their brow. Memories and emotions flickered through them as Lily pulled back. “I could find no better people to look after my son than them… than you. I know you’ll make sure Harry knows Love, dearest child with a ruby Soul. I give you the last bit of magical control that I possess. I will always be here, but I’m not like you child. I am very much dead, and it’s time I be put to rest. Call me if you need me, but otherwise…” Chara frowned._

_“But what about Harry?! Shouldn’t he meet you at least once?” Lily smiled sadly and shook her head._

_“One day he will be surrounded by people that know him only for the events of that night. He will be told of my sacrifice. It is one thing for him to know I watch after him, but another for me to try and be his mother long after I am gone. I am not strong enough to approach him only to say goodbye. It is for the best that he finds happiness with the family he found all on his own, rather than the one he lost long ago. Thank you, Chara. For everything.” And just like that, Lily Potter vanished. Harry’s inner world seemed to gain color and Chara realized that they could now freely manipulate everything around them. Chara was filled with Determination. The dusty frame on the bedside table now holding the uncanny likeness of Lily Potter. As soon as they could, they would tell Sans and Frisk about the prophecy and everything else… even for the Determined Chara, it was still too soon to speak face to face with their mother. But, perhaps one day, they could find it in themselves to be Determined enough and speak to Toriel and Asgore. Faintly, Chara held onto the hope that they could apologize to Asriel too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so thanks Ghost Rider for that suggestion about "Adventurous Love". I'm going to tweak it a bit, but there's a strong possibility that it will be used. I decided that it would be the color of Fire Opal (mostly because I love the meaning of the gem itself). Fun fact, according to this website http://www.gemstonegifts.com/Meaning-of-the-gemstone-RUBY-s/1840.htm Ruby eliminates the "Martyr" syndrome. Jesus, Harry could have used that in the HP series, huh? Ruby is also the gemstone equivalent to Determination in color and now this story. Chara and Frisk both have a Ruby Soul. But wizards frown upon Soul magic (who could blame them with Horcruxes?) so they don't have that sort of information anymore. Also, if Asriel had a gemstone/Soul thing, it would be Black Opal. Shit looks like his wings as God of Hyper Death. Also very symbolically him, you know?
> 
> Fire Opal: http://gemstonemeanings.us/fire-opal-meaning/
> 
> Black Opal: http://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/opal Just look down to the Black Opal section and BAM! God of Hyper Death! It also has Fire Opal, but I used the other page for my information.
> 
> Also, I thought it would be funny if Endogeny did really want to change. Just... solidify for the most part. Also, Is it cheating if I use wood from the underground (the trees being engineered to run off of ambient magic instead of sunlight by splicing different tree genes), to be mostly Dogwood and English Oak for Harry's wand? Cause, Ollivander will be completely confused by what I plan on happening to Harry's old/soon-to-be wand. "It's most curious, Harry, that a small white dog appeared one day many years ago and.../absorbed/ that wand and gently vibrated for several minutes. When the strange dog spat it out, the wood was completely replaced with this strange black wood. I'm not entirely sure what it is, besides a mix of Dogwood and English Oak, but I expect very /interesting/ things from you, Harry Potter" and that's as far as I got there. I just wanted to be sure that it wasn't /too/ awful much for you guys. Possibly the phoenix feather will find itself encased in an ancient red stone material. *wink wink* refer to the previous chapter for a link to the wand wood page on Pottermore.


	16. Like Sheep's Wool, Fluff with Function

Sans and Frisk were actually watching from the sidelines as Toriel and Mettaton had their interview. Sans figured it was one of the better options now that Toriel was around to kick up a fuss if Sans just disappeared with Frisk out of nowhere.

            “so… kid, what do you think about him? harry?” Frisk looked over at Sans in surprise.

            “Harry? He’s a sweet kid. Been through a lot, clearly… not sure how I feel about Chara being inside him. I mean, I guess it’s not regular possession, like what I went through, but still…” Sans hummed thoughtfully.

            “this timeline is quite different, though. isn’t it? do you think… maybe… that this might be the last one?” Sans asked casually, his eye sockets dark with intensity.

            “Uhm…” a ringing interrupted Frisk before they answered the call, “Hello?”

            _“The new kid’s changing things up, isn’t he?”_ there was a long pause as Frisk felt the blood rush out of their face, _“I’m not sure how to feel about that… I so enjoy our little games, Frisk… see you soon.”_ It took a long moment for Frisk to realize Sans was trying to get their attention.

            “--kid! kiddo! ah, there ya are… this bag of bones is getting a little old for those kind of scares… who was that on the phone?” Frisk put the phone away, clearing their suddenly dry throat before taking a deep breath.

            “Flowey… or maybe Asriel… I’ve never been too sure on that one.” Sans froze for a moment, “He talked about Harry… about how he’s changing things…” Sans began to nervously sweat.

            “hey, don’t worry about it. if anything happens, you can just reload. with any luck the kid won’t even remember since that… _Splinter_ isn’t hanging around.” Frisk laughed without any humor.

            “Yeah… hopefully.”

            “kid… i hate making promises, but if this is the last time we go through this…” Sans looked over at Frisk with a heavy intensity, the air felt like it was being filled with static, “Someone’s going to _pay_ for what happened to you two…” Frisk felt their face turn red. They never talked about what sent them up the mountain. Why they were so willing to live with near strangers… but Sans always was a bit too perceptive, for all his lazy tendencies. But a small wounded part of Frisk, the part that drove them to free their new family over and over again, felt warmth from that statement. Felt safety in the knowledge that Sans _saw_ , that he _knew_ without being told. Mom and Asgore (they never got far enough to call him Dad) would provide them with the parental love they had always wanted. But Sans would give them the protection that only someone with the ability to teleport could… Sans was a good big brother. Frisk slipped an arm around Sans in a small hug which was immediately returned without a word.

\--Some things just need to be said.—

            Asgore watched the interview between his wife (ex, he reminded himself. Even if there wasn’t any real divorce procedures in the underground) and Mettaton. Usually, he watched Mettaton for the comedic value of his show. The robot tried so hard to bring excitement to the underground, and Asgore knew how badly his people needed that. He wasn’t sure how to feel about his wife (ex) basically adopting two human children. But the promise of freedom brought hope to his old Soul.

            The need for revenge burned out long ago. Just after the first human’s Soul was delivered to him, actually. Now it was a sense of duty to his people that drove him. The fact that young Harry was a magician held promise. He had spent long hours looking at the barrier, feeling the strange magic it held. He knew that its creation was haphazard at best. A child’s wish just might topple the entire thing. The faint memory of the war did breed resentment for magicians but Asgore did not spent centuries regretting his actions only to get caught up in anger for something that his dear Tori’s new child could not help.

            Besides, if he played his cards right, he just might get a second chance with Tori again… so, no. Now was not the time for his pride and anger to cloud his mind. Deep down inside, all he wanted was to have his family back. But the dead do not return because the living wish it so. Not for anyone… not even a king.

\--Still really like the idea of Asgore repenting and getting back with Toriel.—

            When Harry woke up from his nap, he felt like something was missing, though he wasn’t sure what it was. Alphys was sorting through papers and mumbling to herself in the far corner, an empty cup for noodles next to her. Harry got an idea in that moment. He always cooked at the Dursleys. Even if his efforts were never truly appreciated. But maybe he could give back a little to the strange and wonderful people that were now in his life.

            Quietly, so not to startle Alphys, Harry went off to find the kitchen. When he did find it, it seemed to be mostly used to make instant food, but it was stocked enough for regular meals to Harry’s confusion. Harry thought for a moment on what he should make.

_Harry, make spaghetti!_

            Harry thought for a moment before deciding on pizza instead, due to the odd lack of eating utensils besides chopsticks. It was relatively easy and quick. There even seemed to be the ingredients necessary to make the sauce rather than a jar of premade stuff. Though the ingredients all seemed to come from some strange corporation Harry had never heard of. A very large one by the looks of it to have grown or made everything from the pots and pans to the vegetables in the fridge. _What kind of company is MTT anyway?_ Harry shrugged and got to work making the dough and sauce.

            There was a certain relaxation to methodically making food without sneers of disapproval for his existence in the background. It was a little difficult to reach the counters, but a small step stool solved that problem. He silently decided that he would make four pizzas. Two cheese and two ‘water sausage’… wasn’t that a plant? Harry shrugged and continued anyway.

            “Are you sure you should be cooking without supervision, Harry?” Harry jumped and looked back at Grillby with a shy smile.

            “I used to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day…” Harry trailed off awkwardly. Grillby walked over, pulling on his special cooking gloves.

            “Mind some help?” Harry’s face lit up.

            “Oh! Y-You don’t have to…” when Grillby didn’t move away Harry caved, “Knead the dough while I finish up the sauce?” Grillby smiled and got to work.

            A short while after that Papyrus walked in with Sans and Frisk. A sharp look from Grillby stopped Papyrus from trying to throw glitter into the pizza sauce. Sans, to the surprise of no one, did absolutely nothing while Frisk helped spread the sauce evenly on the now ready dough. It was a warm and happy scene that Mettaton and Toriel walked in on. Filled with giggles and puns while the pizza baked in the oven.

            “Oh, darling Harry! You can cook too?! I know exactly what to do when I interview you! You’re so adorable in that little apron (though it’s clearly Alphys’ mew mew apron judging by the cat ears and tail attached to them. There was supposed to be a hair band with cat ears too, but I suppose that would be a bit much for you deary)!” Mettaton cooed as Toriel wet a rag to help clean off Harry and Frisk’s face.

            “My child, you did not need to make us food!” Harry blushed as his mum carefully wiped away the flour from his cheek.

            “I wanted to give back…” Harry mumbled, his face turning scarlet when Frisk smooched his now clean cheek with a cackle.

            “I TOO, WOULD GIVE YOU A SMOOCH HARRY, BUT I DO NOT HAVE LIPS!” Papyrus exclaimed. Sans laughed and gently placed his teeth on Harry’s other cheek.

            “nah, bro. _enamel_ you need is a careful touch. see, harry’s blushing so hard he looks like he’s got a _femur_!” Harry hid his face in his hands as the tips of his ears turned red. He just wasn’t used to such easy displays of affection.

            “SANS!... very well then.” Harry removed his hands in surprise. He had never heard Papyrus speak at a normal volume. This action was immediately regretted when Harry’s field of vision was filled with Papyrus’ face as the skeleton gently booped Harry’s nose with his teeth in a skeleton’s kiss. And just like that, Harry’s face turned so red, it matched Frisk’s Soul. Papyrus laughed as he went over to check on the pizzas.

_You could say your face is filled with Determination!_

            Chara cackled to Harry’s eternal embarrassment. In a sly move for revenge, Harry planted a kiss on the closest person in the room. What Harry didn’t realize was that his mum had moved away from him to laugh at Sans’ puns without accidentally hitting Harry. Frisk moved away to lean against Sans so they didn’t fall over. So, that left only Grillby, who was holding onto the counter, bent over in laughter. Thankfully, as Grillby was a magic fire elemental, Harry didn’t get burned. But he did plant a smooch right on Grillby’s face, even if it was difficult to tell if the area Harry kissed was Grillby’s nose or mouth. Harry let out a squeal of embarrassment and laughter, Grillby himself laughing harder in return.

            “well—at least the kid’s first kiss was a _hot_ one!” Sans crowed with laughter, sending the entire room into a new round of hysterics.

\--Literally the best fluff I could have made.—

            Alphys was working on breaking down the magical formula that made up Harry’s human magic when Undyne walked into the room.

            “Hey, nerd.” Undyne said with a smirk and a slight blush. Alphys shot up and stammered.

            “U-U-Undyne?!” said monster blushed a little and nervously ran a hand through her hair.

            “I… I wanted to talk to you about earlier.” Alphys immediately slumped. Now was the part where Undyne told her that she didn’t mean it in a romantic way and…

            “O-Oh… um, yeah. I knew what you meant by it, d-d-don’t worry!” Alphys said with false cheer. Undyne blushed harder.

            “Y-Y-You knew about my crazy hardcore crush all this time?! PUNK! HELP A GIRL OUT HERE! Y-YOU COULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING BEFORE NOW!?” Alphys froze, eyes wide, a look Undyne mirrored perfectly. “Oh… uh, you… you didn’t know about my crazy hardcore crush?!...awkward…” Alphys’ face grew hot.

            “O-OH! OH MY GOD! I-I-I DIDN’T REALIZE! I SECRETLY HOPED BUT--!!! IT’S MUTUAL! MY SUPER HARDCORE CRUSH IS ENTIRELY MUTUAL! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!” Alphys shouted out before realizing her mistake.

            “OH MY GOD!”

            “OH MY GOD!” they both exclaimed at the same time. Undyne covered her face with her hands and groaned.

            “we are such neeeerrrdddsss!” Undyne whispered in horror. They both blushed and looked at each other.

            “So… what do we do now?” Alphys asked anxiously. Undyne choked a little before smiling.

            “Uh… I guess, since I’m clearly the Seme, I ask if you want to be my sweet little dino uke?” Alphys sputtered with laughter and nodded. “In those books you have, usually the two kiss at this point… so, if you want…” Alphys sputtered but nodded again. Undyne leaned down over Alphys, having the height advantage since Alphys reached her chest, and the two nervously pursued their lips. They were just a small distance away with Toriel cleared her throat. The two shot back and looked at the open doorway where Sans was covering Harry’s eyes and Papyrus covering the eyes of a very reluctant Frisk.

            “I never get to see my OTP kiss…” Frisk muttered mutinously under their breath.

            “Not in front of the humans… and pizza’s ready if you two want any.” Toriel said, her cheeks slightly red in embarrassment. At that very moment, Alphys and Undyne wanted to dissolve into dust to escape the embarrassment they both felt keenly.

            “Just when things were really developing too!” Mettaton cried out in sympathy with Frisk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly was going to have the cute smooch scene end with Sans getting kissed (because it would be adorable to write his face turning blue), but then I realized I was limiting myself from the much better ending. GRILLBY WAS IN THE KITCHEN TOO! THE PUN/JOKE POTENTIAL HAS NO LIMITS! Also, I like to imagine that Grillby doesn't actually burn anything unless he loses his temper. The only reason he would use gloves is so he doesn't accidentally get his hands wet or slowly cook the food he works with since his temperature is quite a bit higher than room temp, besides just being a good habit to get into for sanitary reasons. That and dough is sensitive to heat.
> 
> So, enjoy the brief moment where Harry later admits in his school years that he technically already had his first kiss. And no one could ever beat such a hot kiss. I know I am. Also, Flowey/Asriel is really attatched to this 'game' that they're in. A game that never really ends, so he's not really happy about Harry messing with the story, but it /is/ something new so he'l allow it for now. Partially considering Omega Flowey meeting Harry (excellent bogart material later) but I really can't imagine it actually occurring. Oh well, we still have Chara's memories, don't we ;)


	17. Of Fashion and Dog Residue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to write a non-canon (to this story) chapter, but I did want to write something funny. So the first part is what happened next and the second part is just a fun bit you might enjoy. Happy April Fools!
> 
> Confuse don't Abuse!

Figuring that Asgore had likely seen the interview Mettaton hosted with Toriel, it was decided that Frisk and Harry should be interviewed next. In a more informal environment, of course, just in case Asgore could be swayed from his decision. The fact that it was likely that the two would gain more monster supporters was also a bonus. So, that was how Harry found himself backstage with Mettaton, trying to find a perfect outfit. For both of them. Frisk staunchly refused to wear anything but the striped sweater they began their journey with. Harry, however, was not so lucky.

            His clothing was easy. Since he was a child, it had to be stripped (he wasn’t entirely sure how that trend started. What age category did flannel belong to?). So, Mettaton somehow found a black sweater in his actual size with royal purple stripes, in honor of his nearly official adoption by the former queen. His trousers were just a simple black that matched the boots he was wearing.

            “Oh, darling, you have such potential! Those eyes, that hair! I’m half convinced that magic is behind that _endearing_ way your hair refused even the smallest of **concessions with a hair brush**!” About twenty minutes so far had been spent with Mettaton trying everything possible to bring Harry’s hair into order. Everything from wetting his hair to using the very impressive array of hair product Mettaton had (for some reason). But to no avail. Harry softly spoke up, cutting off the angry jammed printer noises Mettaton was well into making.

            “One time, my aunt shaved almost all of my hair except the front. You know, to cover my scar? It was horrible… and when I woke up the next day, it had all grown back. She didn’t try anything again after that.” Mettaton giggled a little.

            “Oh darling, human magic is so strange! Monster magic can only do specific things, but I suppose that’s because of the power of a human Soul! But that doesn’t solve what to do with your hair, deary… hmm… how about this?” Mettaton’s metallic gloved hands took a generous portion of hair gel and slicked back the front part, gently placing a soft purple headband to help hold back the wild locks. Harry’s face scrunched up at how painfully clear his scar was and Mettaton could actually see his hair starting to rebel. “Oh, Harry dear, wait just a moment! I know you don’t like having your scar visible, but this hairstyle just does wonders for your facial structure! Alphys already made another pair of glasses, so we can just toss _those wretched things out_. She said you needed a new pair anyway. Alright, so try looking at yourself now, Harry dear…” Mettaton slipped on the newer glasses and stepped out of the way so Harry could see.

            Harry was rather surprised. His glasses frames actually complemented his face with thin black half frames. His hair, though it left his scar out in the open, looked like he meant for it to be just on this side of tamed rather than a wild nest. The top of his hair was slicked back and the rest allowed to sort of frame his face. He may have been eight years old, but he looked like a mix of posh and wild. He looked good. He frowned though as he brought a hand up to his forehead. That scar had always been a point of ridicule for him. Something to be hidden away and ashamed of.

            “I look good but…” Mettaton patted his back sympathetically.

            “I know dear, but it actually has faded quite a bit. It looks like what it’s supposed to be. An old scar. Not some angry red wound for people to gawk at. We all have flaws we don’t like, but Harry, as far as physical flaws go, I think you could to worse than a very literal lighting scar on your forehead. Because at the end of the day, your friends and family love you for what’s inside. Not what’s on your body.” Mettaton said wistfully as he looked off to the side at an old photo tucked into the frame of the mirror. It appeared to be Mettaton posing by himself, his arm at an odd angle as though it was slung around someone. In a pale blue marker, someone drew the outline of a rather childish looking ghost with headphones and a small smile at odds with the large teary eyes.

            “Um… is there supposed to be someone there?” Mettaton startled and laughed.

            “Oh, yes, deary! I wasn’t always a handsome robot! Alphys built me a body so I could pursue my dream of being a star! I actually used to be a ghost, like Blooky dear there… well, you can’t see him, mostly because ghosts don’t show up in photographs. But! I did draw him in! I promise it’s not just a selfie, he’s actually there in more than just marker!” Harry paused for a moment.

            “So… you could say he’s there in _spirit_?” Harry said shyly. Mettaton let out a startled laugh.

            “W-Why is it that when Sans uses a pun, I wish to apply sandpaper to my audio processors, but when you do, it’s _adorable_?! Well, I suppose it’s the cute face that delivers the pun…” Mettaton let out a strange whine, “Well, as I was going to say, no one that matters will care about your scar. If it still bothers you, I think there’s some cream to help reduce scars around here somewhere. We don’t keep the human makeup for skin tones down here since no one actually comes in those colors I’m afraid. Well, not anyone that could use foundation cream anyway.” Harry hesitantly shook his head.

            “N-No… I don’t mind like this.” Harry looked down and blushed a little as Mettaton cooed.

            “Oh, you brave little beauty you!” a knock interrupted them.

            “Mettaton, your show is in five.” Mettaton squawked in surprise.

            “Oh dear, have we been chatting that long?! Come along, Harry dear! Just be yourself! It’s my job as the host to keep things rolling and yours to charm the masses!”

\--And now for the April Fools gift! How Harry’s wand was made… or unmade… whatever!—

            Toby Fo—I mean, the Annoying Dog was a rather busy pup. Pranks to pull, cameos to make, and a few important errands to run that completely disregard space and time laws. Like this one that he was on right now. After Frisk, the fallen human of Determination, unlocked the room with the Ancient Artifact (that was promptly absorbed and noted to have a non-licorice flavor) Annoying Dog had to run along for a very important appointment.

            Stick from the tree outside Toriel’s house? Check.

            Ancient Artifact? Check.

            Ergonimic pillow for neck and back specially designed for a small white dog? Double check!

            Never mind how Annoying Dog managed to pass through the barrier (personally, in Annoying Dog’s opinion, the airport security was more stringent)! In a few short moments, most of which were spent wondering exactly when those complementary peanuts were supposed to arrive for flight passengers, Annoying Dog was all the way in England. London’s very own Diagon Alley, to be precise. No one noticed the strange music that followed Annoying Dog as he made his way into Ollivander’s and the very back of the shop where wands were made.

            Ollivander himself was just finishing up a wand destined for a very special wizard when he heard the strange music but disregarded it in favor of considering the Holly wood and Pheonix Feather core wand. Yes, quite a good make, if he did say so himself. He had just set it in a special box when it happened. A small white dog leapt onto the table and sat upon the wand. The strange music intensified as the small dog began to gently vibrate until the entire table was vibrating along with it. Ollivander was shocked and entirely unsure as to what was happening.

**Annoying Dog absorbed the wand! But?! Spat it back out now covered in Dog Residue and altered somehow! What a strange event!**

            Ollivander watched in silence as the dog burped before going straight through the ceiling at a fifty degree angle without a trace. Ollivander got out his equipment to carefully look at the newly altered wand. Somehow, the wood had changed. It seemed to be some sort of magical hybrid of English Oak and Dogwood, though Ollivander wasn’t sure if there was a third wood somewhere in there. There certainly seemed to be strange white and blue flecks along the naturally dark wood. Bone, perhaps? How odd… When Ollivander checked on the core he was surprised to find that the Pheonix Feather was largely untouched. It was now preserved inside a strange red stone substance with bright green streaks (Ollivander refused to believe he could see small green spears rather than just streaks. There was just no way). Altogether a very strange wand… he couldn’t wait to see what chaos it created! Though… he could have done without the strange residue that resisted all magical attempts to dispel. Very curious indeed.


	18. How to Bake a Family but not be a Cannibal

            “HELLO MY BEAUTIES! I am Mettaton, your charming host-robot, back with another guest appearance! This time, it is the humans! Allow me to introduce you!” Mettaton rolled out onto the stage with Frisk and Harry behind him, Mettaton grabbed Harry’s hand first, “This is Harry, he is eight years old and the sweetest dear! And this is Frisk, they are fifteen and give me quite a run for my money!” Frisk winked at the audience.

            “You’re a star Metta, and you deserve a treatment _out of this world_!” Frisk flirted, causing Mettaton to fan himself for a moment.

            “ANYWAY! We’re going to show you how to bake a cake! Harry. Frisk? Would you two darlings bring the ingredients over here?” the lights came on and illuminated a kitchen set. On the counter was the ingredients. Frisk grabbed the flour and milk while Harry carried the eggs. “Wonderful, you’re so wonderful!” Mettaton cheered, causing Harry to blush.

            “I will measure out the ingredients while you two tell our lovely audience about yourself! Frisk, why don’t you start first?” Mettaton said while his arms wildly swung around and tossed the flour in the air with the measuring cups.

            “Oh, well I’m Frisk, as you may already know, and I am FILLED WITH DETERMINATION! To flirt! Harry, you’re looking handsome today!” Harry blushed and stuttered. Someone in the audience wolf-whistled.

            “F-F-Frisk! You… you look nice too… Not that you didn’t look nice before or anything I just!” Harry covered his face with his hands and took a deep breath, when he remove them he was smiling cheerfully and was only slightly blushing, “I’m Harry and I enjoy cooking for my friends and family!” Mettaton paused in the middle of pulverizing precisely two and a half eggs.

            “Oh, you two are just so precious! But Harry… does that mean, you consider us your family? You seem to be having fun!” Mettaton asked cleverly. Harry blushed and smiled.

            “Yeah… I couldn’t have found anyone better to be my family… um…if you’ll have me, that is!” Harry said shyly while picking up a rag to clean up some of the yolk from the counter. Mettaton’s entire screen flashed red. The audience awed at the heartwarming scene.

            “BUT OF COURSE DEARY! OH MY GOSH YOU ARE SO ADORABLE! CALL ME METTA DEAR, ALL OF MY CLOSE FRIENDS AND FAMILY DO!” All of this was shouted while Mettaton wrapped his impossibly stretchy arms around both Frisk and Harry and spun around wildly. Harry and Frisk laughed happily until the oven suddenly dinged. “OH! Looks like we’re done for today! And that folks, is how you bake a good family! Love, tender care, and two and a half pulverized eggs! PSA, PLEASE DON’T BAKE YOUR FAMILY!” A wild sound of applause echoed as the cameras turned off. Mettaton gently unwrapped his arms from the two, leaving Frisk and Harry in a fit of laughter. “That was fantastic, once again my viewer count has skyrocketed! Come along, dearies! Your mother would have my circuits if I didn’t escort you back!” Mettaton held hands with Harry and Frisk as he rolled off the stage and back to Alphys’ lab where Toriel and Sans were waiting.

            “hey, squirt.” Sans said as he vengefully ruffled Harry’s hair back into its original shape only to watch it bend back into place with a laugh. Harry blushed as he gave Sans a hug.

            “Metta says my human magic is what makes my hair impossible to deal with. So, as long as I like what it looks like, it’ll stay.” Sans narrowed his eyes.

            “is that a challenge, kid?” Sans said ominously as his bony hands descended upon Harry’s head and began wildly rubbing the locks. Harry uselessly flailed around in laughter in an attempt to get away. Frisk laughed as they gave Toriel a hug and Mettaton screeched indignantly.

            “SANS! STOP MESSING UP HARRY’S GORGEOUS HAIR!” Sans, in retaliation, wrapped an arm around Harry and teleported around the room while still messing with his hair with his other hand.

            “S-Sans! S-S-Sto-o-op!” Harry laughed helplessly as Undyne and Papyrus came into the room.

            “SANS, WHAT SHENANIGANS ARE YOU PULLING THIS TIME?” Sans stopped just behind Papyrus and smiled.

            “Just messing with the kid’s hair. Watch this!” Sans furiously ruffled Harry’s hair and then stopped to allow both Undyne and Papyrus to watch it slowly slick itself back.

            “WOWIE! IS THIS HUMAN MAGIC?” Undyne of course didn’t take it as wondrous.

            “IS YOUR HAIR CHALLENGING ME, PUNK?! GIVE ‘EM HERE SANS, I’LL SUBDUE THE BRAT’S HAIR IN NO TIME!” Undyne swept Harry into a one armed embrace and began energetically rubbing Harry’s hair out of shape. “FWAH-HA-HA-HAH! SURRENDER YOUR HAIRSTYLE TO MY AWESOME POWER, PUNK!” Harry let out a squeal of laughter and shook his head as much as he was able.

            “N-NEVER!” Harry could only cry out as his Soul filled with Love and the beginnings of something else.

\--Magic hair? Um… opps? Sorry, not sorry at all.—

            Deep within the Void, **[Redacted]** carefully examined the sting of magic wrapped around his wrist. He watched in curiosity as it thickened from a single thread’s width to about the size of yarn. Echoes of laughter reverberated in the Void as **[Redacted]** smiled. He could recognize the sound of his own son’s laughter along with the human child, Harry.

            “I used to curse my weak form as I watched my son suffer.” A woman’s voice said. **[Redacted]** spun around to see a red haired human woman looking at the string of magic in wonder, “I could do nothing about his misery. I could not wipe away his tears that my own sister caused…but now I am content. What little power I possessed was just enough to give Harry the chance at family he deserved rather than what fools decided.”

            **“You are his mother… you are dead and yet…”**

            “And yet I still live on… such is the way with parents. Even after death we live on in our children… of course, magic gives me a more literal take… forgive me, I didn’t introduce myself. I am what remains of Lily Potter, Harry’s mother.” Lily stretched out her hand which **[Redacted]** accepted.

            **“This magic… what is its purpose?”** Lily laughed.

            “To return you to where you belong. Normally, magic cannot return the dead to their living form, but you didn’t die… did you? Scattered across time and space by your own creation. A small portion of Harry’s magic is being funneled to you with every moment that passes. Normally, it would take more magic than a single wizard can make to pull you back, but Harry’s never been normal. The Love you have for your sons, and they for you, anchors you more to the world than you realize. With every bit of Love Harry feels, some is in turn, given to you. My son is a very loving child… I am glad he got away from the Dursley’s before that could change.” Lily said wistfully.

            **“…I would introduce myself, but I’m afraid the laws of the Void prohibit anyone having memory of me.”** Lily smiled mischievously.

            “Then it is lucky that magic can bypass nearly any law of nature, isn’t it _W.D. G@$t#r?_ ” the Void echoed with laughter as the thread of magic gradually thickened. _Soon._

\--That’s a weird name…--

            Flowey, having no conventional Soul, was very torn. Normally, he would punish anyone who threatened to step out of line in the fairytale he enacted with Frisk for so long. But something about that brat called to Flowey. Soothed something broken that he couldn’t understand. There was always the finale, though introducing the pest to Omega Flowey was out of the question since _technically_ everything was prepared for a True Pacifist ending.

            Flowey had gotten to know Frisk pretty well after so many Resets. Just like he had with all the occupants of the underground. Especially the ‘main cast’ thanks to absorbing them as God of Hyper Death… perhaps that’s what he’ll do with Harry. After all, _what better way to know someone than their when they think they’re all **alone**?_

\--Should I keep the aggressive weed or trade up for Goat Bro?—

            After all that excitement, Harry was completely tired out. Undyne reluctantly handed Harry back to Toriel with one last hair ruffle, which Harry sleepily protested.

            “SANS, YOU’VE BECOME A TERRIBLE INFLUENCE ON TINY HUMAN HARRY!” in reply, Sans yawned widely and pattered over to Toriel.

            “i’ll nap with the kid, tori. i’m _bone_ tired and harry’s a bicycle.” Toriel looked at Sans in confusion.

            “I beg your pardon?” Sans winked and replied.

            “he’s _two-tired_.” Toriel let out a snort of laughter as she gently handed Sans a sleepy Harry.

            “Very well, _tricycle_ to get some rest.” Frisk gave Sans a look but smiled anyway as Sans adjusted Harry until he was more comfortable. It took using a little bit of magic to cushion his hips and stomach, but Harry was now seated on his hip. One step through the Void and they were inside Sans’ bedroom. After the nap, Sans would ask about Chara, since he doubted he’d get a very coherent answer right now. A little bit of magic manipulation to clean up his bed and he took off both of their shoes before sliding into the bed. Harry was placed securely in his arms and on the side pushed against the wall just in case the kid was a roller. Sans took a moment to appreciate how warm in was sleeping next to another person before going to sleep himself. It was almost like when he used to sleep with **[Red** \--…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so a lot happened in this chapter. I've alluded to what might happen for the final battle (still not 100%, which is why this is taking so long), [Redacted] met Lily, and fluff! I didn't mean for the hair bit to happen, but I don't exactly regret anything. BTW, When Sans is talking, he usually doesn't capitalize shit, which is annoying and breaks Word more than I like to think about, but when he's really happy or emotional, his shit gets proper capitalization. So, feel the feels extra hard. Still not 100% on how [Redacted] will be pulled into reality... maybe literally? That would be funny as hell. First time [Redacted] sees his kids and its face first in the dirt. Nice. Reeaalll graceful. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	19. Hopefully, the last bit of World Building

\--If you don’t care about the why and how of the underground and by extension, Undertale, skip to the next oddly centered comment like this one.--

            It’s time to put our story on hold, for you see, some very good questions have been brought up within our little group. _Exactly how did the monsters get sealed underground? Especially when historically, it would have been the Native Americans who did it if that was the case but mosnters use the term “Magic User or Magician” rather than “Shaman or Medicine Man/Woman” ?_ What? No one actually asked that? Wow… uh… you guys are patient little fellas aren’t you? Well… I’ll tell you anyway.

            Ironically, most of the exact circumstance has been lost to time itself. Remember a few chapters ago when it was mentioned that, despite their best efforts, the AMC couldn’t find any source for the strange magic of Mount Ebott? That wasn’t a fluke. In reality, **_literally nothing happened on Mount Ebott involving monsters besides the disappearance of three humans_**. The Great War monsters speak of never even occurred on the North or South American continent. It actually occurred where nearly every old war has. Europe. Make of that statement what you will.

            Anyway, just bear with me here! Around a thousand years ago, the major church did not recognize witchcraft as being real. If you tried to accuse someone of being a witch, you’d find yourself persecuted instead, since only heathens believed in witchcraft. Ironically, wizards and witches themselves were essentially a non-entity. They did not really hide, so much as not use magic for every little thing, so the non-magical people didn’t notice they existed. Magic folk had already begun hiding away magical creatures such as unicorns, dragons, and the various fey folk. They knew peace would not last.

            Monsters, as you’ve gotten to know in the story so far, were classed as entirely different from Magical Creatures. Mostly because they came in so many different forms. By definition (spruced up from the older English that was used at the time by the common folk) a Monster was a creature defined, not by physical form, but by spiritual form. Any creature that could actively engage directly with the Soul, and having an upside-down white heart (with major magic color being a sort of smoke within and around said Soul), was a Monster. Intelligent animals could have a Soul, but not like the kind seen in Humans. The more self-aware a species was, the fuller their Soul was. A particularly smart canine may have, for example, a dark blue heart filled in all the way, but it will be dull and not as bright as a Human Soul. Which is considered the strongest kind of Soul. A dim squirrel, on the other hand, may only have a light and faded silhouette in a color that’s difficult to define. Insects, if they have one, are usually too small for a Soul inspection.

            Monsters refused to hide, claiming it was their duty to stand alongside mankind in all its forms, to be their mirror. Reflecting their actions and who they truly were. Naturally, not everyone was happy about this. The details are fuzzy, but when war did break out, it was at a heavy price for the Monsters. Out of sympathy or hatred, seven magicians gathered and used a magic spell (very shoddy work, to both call every monster to one location and seal them inside). One of them, having recently invented what was a rough draft of a time turner, attempted to integrate their invention to seal away the Monsters in a realm all their own. Separated from Earth by not only Space, but Time. The idiot nearly destroyed the entire freaking world.

            You cannot just tear apart the universe to make a hidey-hole. The underground (a word never capitalized because Monsters will always long for the upper world and refuse to acknowledge the underground as permanent, despite naming places such as Snowdin, New Home, and Hotlands) was pushed out of the physical realm it originated from. A place that has long been forgotten. Instead of making a pocket universe, self-sustaining with its own time frame, the underground was created and pushed through the fabric of Earth’s reality, where it surfaced at its weakest point. Mount Ebott. That lone mountain was where reality, or rather, Earth’s magical reality, was at its weakest. Think of a knitted ball, perfectly held together by its own fabric. That fabric is reality and magic held together by gravity, which is why magic cannot be performed in outer space (since gravity is intrinsic to magic itself), but some places will inexplicably become worn or loose. At the time, Mount Ebott was that place. Due to the creation of the underground, several weak spots will develop on the surface of the Earth with a sort of string leading to Mount Ebott, sort of like a worm hole. Causing five people to go missing, along with several animals that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like a certain skeleton’s shortcuts, actually. Kind of makes him seem more powerful, now doesn’t it?

            Anyway, the poor choice of adding a very rudimentary time turner caused the inside of Mount Ebott and the outside to fall out of sync. Merging with the barrier magic, it also erased Monsters from human memory, except for a vague fairy tale told to children who grow up under the shadow of Mount Ebott. This odd time trick caused what would ultimately become a new sort of Soul Magic. The magic presented to Determined human Souls. The power over time. It also caused time to loop itself around the time such a human falls, dooming them to forever repeat their short live in the underground. Well, not quite, since that human would have a minor control of time and the inclusion of one forgotten scientist.

            He created a great machine to power the underground, but alas, fell into his creation and was scattered across time and space… within the bubble that the barrier created. His… bits clung to the fabric of the bubble his world was contained in. Very little of his self remained coherent enough to remain conscious. But where the monster Soul goes, the body will follow, due to being merely an extension of the Soul rather than a container like with humans. This is how a tragic accident may be the only key to stopping the Resets, the time loops, and breaking the barrier. But what force on Earth could possibly be strong enough to bring back someone so torn? _What power indeed_ …

\--Back to our regularly scheduled program. If you’re just now tuning in, shame on you. It’s only a page and a half of sort of needed exposition. I worked hard on that logic breaking crap.—

            When Harry woke up, he felt so safe and well rested. It came as a great surprise when he realized _why_ he felt that way. He fell asleep with Sans. Oddly enough, it wasn’t uncomfortable like he thought it was supposed to be. It felt like he was cuddling a warm stuffed bear with a frame inside. He could definitely feel Sans’ bones, but it seemed to be between a warm layer of padding that Harry honestly wasn’t sure where it was from.

_Cutest BroTP ever!_

            Harry blushed and squirmed in discomfort, his small movements causing Sans to pull him closer. Harry was just glad that Sans didn’t smell too bad, strongly of ketchup, sure, but also of old books, faintly of chalk, and something definitely Sans. Harry tried to move out of Sans’ embrace but he only got a sour grumble for his efforts.

            “…Sans…Sans.” Harry wasn’t sure what to do… it was nice but…

            “…give it a _brake_ , kid. you’re sooo soft and cuddly.” Harry blanched and struggled a little more to no avail.

            “Sans!” Harry whined, only getting himself held tighter to Sans’ chest and a chuckle to ruffle his messy hair.

_…Harry, I know this isn’t quite the best time but… tell Sans I’m ready to talk. There is something he needs to know too. About Tom Riddle._

_Chara?_

_Trust me?_

            “…Sans, Chara says they want to talk to you.” Sans froze with his grip tightening, “They said you need to know something about Tom Riddle.” Harry paused, feeling an odd tugging sensation at the back of his head. He closed his eyes and focused on that feel. His entire body seemed to go numb as he gave up control to Chara.

            _“Easy Bonehead, I have Harry’s best interest at heart right now… I’m not… not what I used to be.”_ Sans pulled back and looked into Harry’s eyes now glowing red with Determination, _“Harry’s mom told me about a few things you need to know, starting with the night his parents were murdered_ —“

            “Wait a minute, why are you telling me? Why not **Y O U R  M O T H E R**?” Chara/Harry flinched.

            _“I…I can’t face them after what I did… I can’t face her right now… maybe one day but…”_ Chara/Harry’s eyes watered a bit before they shook their head, _“Anyway, as I was saying, Sans. There’s a prophecy that may be about Harry and an old dude who is ready to manipulate Harry’s life to get what he wants. Harry should never have gone to the Dursleys, Sans. Lily didn’t want it in her will, they were supposed to follow that. His name, is Albus Dumbledore…”_ Sans listened with almost painful attention to detail as Chara listed out the events that happened to Harry. He didn’t really _trust_ Chara, per say, but he didn’t think they were lying. Besides, if Chara was telling the truth, he had plenty of time to research it. He didn’t mind poking his non-existent nose in other people’s business to annoy them. The fact that it was for such a sweet kid’s safety was just a… unintended bonus.

\--Finally, the beans are spilled.—

            Toriel sat across from former General Grillby, wringing her paws. She knew it would come eventually. The day that she would have to go and confront Asgore.

            “I have already spoken to the guards stationed in the Hotlands and along the way to the Capital. If you were to go with Frisk and Harry you would not be bothered. I, of course, still insist on escorting you.”

            “I…I see. Thank you for your help, General Grillby. I only regret not doing this sooner.” Toriel said mournfully, thinking about the other humans that had passed due to her negligence.

            “It’s not your fault, Toriel. You can’t change the past, what matters is that you’re making a change now.” Grillby said, resting a warm and comforting hand on her shoulder. Toriel rested a hand over Grillby’s and smiled.

            “I suppose… we will leave as soon as Sans comes back with Harry. It’s time to end this.” Toriel said with a sense of finality. Soon, monster kind would finally be free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hah, well, needless to say, I wasn't expecting so many people to support [Redacted] falling flat on his face into the proper reality! And, if you read the first part, you now probably have a good idea of how the Undertale Reset/Time loop issue will be fixed. If it didn't make sense, please tell me and I will attempt to clear up the confusion. It got a little hard to focus for a bit there because, damn, is that shit all kinds of fucked up. Sans now knows and as soon as he is sure, he will rain hell upon stupid wizards! Wohoo! Get Dunked On! The next chapter may be a bit in the coming because i'm still not 100% on how the final confrontation will go down. Mostly due to the fact that it would be massively unfair to Harry if he had to do what Tumble did in my other Undertale story We Are All Falling. But... if I take too long, I might do that. Sooo... expect feels? I guess? I mean, the climax of True Pacifist is always really emotional. I'm glad you guys enjoyed the Annoying Dog short and I also have a good idea of what i'll do with Goat Bro and Aggressive Weed *cue evil laughter with Hannah Montana in the background for reasons*. Anyway, Enjoy!


	20. Goat Mom is Not Impressed and Sans is Panicking... Oh, and Harry Finally Takes a Bath

            Harry’s throat was scratchy and dry by the time that Chara was finished. Both child and skeleton looked at each other for a long moment.

            _“Sans…I uh… I wanted to apologize as well. All those times I—well, I wasn’t in a good place back then. Mentally, that is. Being grounded like this has brought me clarity I’ve lacked for what seems like a very long time. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that, that the effects weren’t_ technically _permanent doesn’t matter. I’d say something about doing it all differently if I could go back, but that’s kind of why we’re in this mess in the first place.”_ Sans took a deep breath and hugged Harry closer.

            “I…I can’t say i forgive you just yet, kid… but if this is the last time we have to go through this, i think i can start to. let’s get going. i think harry could do with a bit of cleaning up.” Sans said as he sat up with Harry in his arms. The red faded from Harry’s eyes as he blinked in surprise, his eyes watery with unshed tears. Sans’ eyes widened as he realized that he probably didn’t know that information until just now. “it’s okay to cry kid, it’s a lot to take in… want to… um… take a shower real quick while i find something to eat?” Sans asked awkwardly before Harry threw his arms around Sans and began to cry. Sans, unsure of what he should do, just quietly held Harry as he began to let it all out.

            “T-They told me my parents were drunks! That they died in a car crash! A _car crash_!” Harry took in a shuddering breath, “T-T-That I was a freak… a f-f-f-freak l-like my parents… that I had to earn my keep, b-because I was a burden!” Harry cried out as Sans sat in stunned silence. He had a feeling the kid’s folks weren’t exactly shining examples of parenting, but this took the cake. Harry was _eight_ , if he had his way, Harry wouldn’t have known the details of his parent’s death until he was at least ten. He would know that they were dead, sure, and that they loved him very much (which was clearly true), but not that they were murdered. _Or some lie about them dying irresponsibly in a car crash_. And Sans certainly wouldn’t raise Harry with the belief that he was somehow lesser and a burden. _Yeah, someone’s going to get dunked on reeeaalll good._ Sans ran his hands through Harry’s hair and distantly noted how the strands no longer arranged themselves in a slicked back do, but rather the crazy nest they were before Mettaton styled it. Though there was clearly some product left in the strands. Decision made, Sans stood up with Harry in his arms and made his way to the bathroom, carefully sitting on the edge of the tub to begin running a bath (with a generous amount of some nonsensical MTT-Brand something or other to create bubbles).

            “alright kiddo, I’m going to see what tori can whip up while you take a bath. i expect at least minimal cleanliness and a _bubble_ -ton of fun to be had with paps’ bath toys. don’t worry about clothes, there are plenty of clean stripped sweaters to go around. if i come back to a frowny face, i’ll be forced to have paps show you how to properly have fun at bath time, got it?” Sans asked cheerfully at Harry’s blushing features as he silently nodded. Sans smirked as he checked the temperature of the bath before pulling out the basket of bath toys from under the counter. “okay, i’ll be back in a bit, when you’re ready to get out just yell and i’ll bring you a warm towel and clothes.” Sans gently tapped his teeth against Harry’s forehead and turned off the tap before leaving with the door opened only a crack so he could hear Harry call for him. Sans didn’t need to stick around to know that Harry shed a few more tears before finally getting into the bath and indulging in somewhat childish pastime of playing in the bath. Words could be exchanged later, but for now, Harry basked in the warmth of a bubble bath and the knowledge that he was cared for, not through words, but actions.

            Sans was just wondering how to phrase confirmed abuse of her newly adopted child without causing her to try and burn her way through the barrier with brute force. Toriel wasn’t the former queen, and still heavily respected by the monsters that knew her in her royal position, for nothing. That, and it takes an interesting temperament to master fire magic, and the amount of control Toriel had spoke volumes of her self-control. But they also don’t say that you shouldn’t play with fire for nothing.

\--It literally just occurred to me that Toriel has fire magic, which is indicative of passion and a temper, but only her ex is ever shown to have earned it (though the look she gives you in game if you try and go downstairs several times in a row is close).—

            All things considered, it went as well as could be expected. Sure, Sans was convinced that Toriel was going to burn down the entirety of Hotlands for a good Soul-stopping moment, but she was quick to reel herself back in. She went from bathed in flames to almost _icy_ within the span of a second before primly saying—

            “I _will_ cook some breakfast while… soaking in this new information. I suggest no one enter if they wish to be presentable for breakfast. I will likely take over an hour, so Sans…” for a brief moment, Sans thought Toriel was going to burst into flames again, “Make sure my son is happy, clean, _happy_ , and dressed for breakfast. **_Happily_**.” Sans vigorously nodded. Grillby was quiet for the entirety of Sans explanation but seemed oddly stiff as he left to go work off any excess heat outside where it wouldn’t damage anything.

            “S-Sure thing, Tori…” Sans squeaked out before getting the _duck_ out of there. Every skeleton for himself.

\--People with a hot temper are scary, sure, but people who go from hot to straight up _cold_ should be feared and avoided at every opportunity.—

            Sans took a deep breath, unaware that Toriel was doing much the same thing before preparing a full course meal to the height of perfection. He quietly listened for a moment to make sure Harry was taking a proper bubble bath (judging by the low voices as Harry reenacted some imaginary battle and giggled, that was a yes) before running to his closet to look for a full set of nice clothes for Harry to wear. There was a strong possibility that they were going to confront Asgore today, and while Sans was unsure what would happen with Harry in the mix, it wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression. The fact that seeing Harry _happy_ and in nice clothes might at least bank the flames of Tori’s anger wasn’t a deciding factor. _No, of course not_.

            He found several stripped sweaters, one of which was green and yellow, and therefore never to see the light of day again (though Sans couldn’t figure out why that color combination gave him an uneasy feeling). Eventually, he settled on a dark blue sweater with light blue stripes, as well as a pair of pants with miss-matched socks. Blue was a calming color, wasn’t it? Maybe seeing Harry in calm colors will _cool_ Tori off? There was underwear (for some reason, despite Papyrus never technically needing that) that was also added to the pile. Quickly snagging a towel, Sans threw the lot into the dyer for thirty minutes. A quick check later revealed Harry’s playtime slowly winding down. _Good, just in time_. Sans let out a sigh before collapsing in a lazy pile of bones across the hall from the bathroom door. He usually didn’t put much effort into things… _Geez, these kids know how to light a fire under my bony butt_.

            Sans actually drifted off in a light doze before the soft and slightly uncertain voice of Harry woke him up.

            “Um…Sans? I-I think I’m ready to get out now.” Sans jolted up before remembering the clothes in the dryer.

            “sure thing, kid. let me get the clothes out of the dryer and we’ll have you right out!” Sans called as he carefully folded up the clothes in a neat pile before draping the towel over his other arm. He walked backwards into the bathroom before putting the pile of clothes on the counter. Turning around with a flourish, he whipped the towel out to block his own vision and allow Harry to get out of the tub with his modesty intact, though he could see all the bath toys neatly but away in the basket. The point of a bubble bath was to leave _something_ resembling a mess, but Sans was hardly going to complain, he loved doing nothing after all.

            Carefully wrapping Harry up in the warm fabric Sans took a moment to rub the towel against Harry’s hair before leaving him be. “i’ll leave the rest to you, kid. just come on out when you’re done.” Sans said over his shoulder as he left the bathroom, highly doubtful that Harry would need his assistance to get dressed. This was proven true when Harry exited the bathroom only a moment later, dirty clothes and towel in his arms. Sans grabbed the towel before playfully drying the rest of Harry’s hair until he was satisfied Tori wouldn’t flame broil him alive for conspiracy to give Harry a cold or something.

            “Sans!” Harry yelped when he just left the towel on his head with a chuckle, only to laugh harder when Harry took off the towel to reveal his hair completely standing on end. _All of it_.

            “s-sorry kid, here, just leave that in the basket for laundry day. i’ll go find a b-brush!” Sans said, trying not to choke on his laughter. Turns out, they didn’t have a hairbrush, but Sans wasn’t entirely surprised. As much as Papyrus dreamed of having hair to stream in the wind on the surface, they _were_ skeletons. Hair wasn’t typically apart of the package. Harry tried and failed to comb his hair with his fingers, somehow managing to make it worse. “don’t sweat it, kid. i’m sure tori’ll have something for that… or _mettaton_.” Sans said with just a little bit of disdain. One of the ‘not-genocide-but-still-bad’ endings was having to be Mettaton’s manager. _That_ was actually a small plus for having uncontrollable Resets. He never had to do it for long…. Just… just way too much work managing a _diva_.

            “Sans…” Harry said uncertainly while fiddling with the ends of his sleeves.

            “yeah, kid?”

            “You… you told mum, didn’t you?” Harry’s mouth visibly tried to form words to follow that question but failed.

            “yeah kid, and she’s making what i imagine to be the biggest breakfast you’ll ever see right now. gave me strict orders that you were to be ‘happy, clean, _happy,_ and dressed for breakfast. **_Happily_** ’. rattled my bones for sure. your mom don’t mess around kid. i don’t envy the dursleys when _she_ manages to find them.” Sans kneeled down and embraced Harry gently, “someone really cares about you kid, a lot of someone’s actually. i’ll give you a hint.” Sans started as Harry wrapped his arms around Sans and let out a sob, “one of them is a human kid with the best poker face you will ever see. one is on _fire_. one has a terrifying tendency to _catch_ on fire when she’s mad. one catches her own house on fire when she cooks, and is teaching a certain cool dude to do the same (which is also terrifying, I _like_ this house, thank you very much). one is a mechanical diva made by another one that’s a serious otaku (i’ll explain that one later). and two of them are absolute _bone-heads_. And guess what? one day there’ll be more too, because you’re _loved_ , Harry.” Harry let out a sob of laughter as it hit Sans.  _I_ _just made Harry cry_.  _I_ _just made Harry **cry** … Tori is going to roast me over an open flame_… _kid… please, stop crying… I’d like to live long enough to see the surface… please?_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I just want to say, right now. Sans sucks at keeping his promises. I was playing Undertale around that area outside of Snowdin where Gryftrot(?) appears, RIGHT IN FRONT OF SANS WHEN I ENTER A BATTLE! JFC. I wasn't expecting Sans to go out of his way or anything, but I was literally /right/ in front of him. Really Sans? Really? Oh, and my roommate thinks it's hilarious that i'm basically going through as myself. By myself, she means socially awkward. Like how I entered a battle with Jerry, Snowcap, and Snowdrake at once. I knew that I had to laugh at Snowdrake's jokes to get him to let me spare him, but I wasn't paying attention and... laughed before he said anything... three times in a row. They were so /confused/. I was embarrassed, and I got purple (Perseverance) in the ball game, so that was fun. Can't wait to embarrass myself some more when I pull together the courage to move through Waterfall. NOT.  
> Okay, so the next chapter should be breakfast and heading through Hotlands to Asgore. I think I've stalled enough. (Still not 100% on how Asriel's battle will go down but my best work usually comes when I don't plan it. *I.E. When I bullshit my way through*)
> 
> Enjoy!


	21. The Chapter Sans is not Roasted Alive (Thankfully).

            A quick trip back to the bathroom and Harry no longer looked like Sans made him cry, which could only be a good thing in Sans’ book.

            “okay, kid, remember. don’t tell your mom that i made you cry… she’s uh… a little on edge right now. good? good. ready to go?” Sans asked after ensuring Harry had on a pair of shoes. He really wasn’t taking any chances right now. Harry pushed his glasses up before taking Sans’ hand and in the span of a second they were in the main area of Alphys’ lab.

            “SANS YOU LAZY BONES, I SEE YOU FINISHED WITH YOUR NAP! AND TINY HUMAN HARRY IS NOW WELL RESTED! GOOD!” Papyrus proclaimed. Sans put on a dramatic face before crying out.

            “why is it that when i do it, it’s napping, but when the _kid_ does it, it’s sleeping?” Papyrus let out a bark of laughter.

            “SANS! STOP MAKING PUNS!.... SAY, HARRY, DID YOU DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT?” Papyrus said before kneeling down to carefully consider Harry’s appearance. Harry, for his part, blushed and ran a hand through his hair. “I KNOW! IT’S PUBERTY ISN’T IT? ONE OF ALPHYS’ HISTORY BOOKS MENTIONS IT!” Papyrus completely and utterly ignored the shocked face of Harry and Sans trying not to laugh, “TELL ME, HARRY, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO DEVELOP AMAZING POWERS OR TURN INTO WHAT UNDYNE CALLS A ‘BISHIE’? DO I HAVE TO CLOSE MY EYES FIRST?!” Sans couldn’t hold it in any longer, desperately trying to stay standing while Harry scrambled for something—anything to say.

            “PAPYRUS!! No! I-I’m not going through p-p-puberty! I’m _eight_! I just need a hairbrush, I swear!” Harry covered his face with his hands and didn’t see Undyne charge into the room at the mention of manga. She did, however, stop at the sight of Harry’s ridiculously fluffy hair.

            “FWAHAHAHA, kid! You need a comb, hold on a second, I think I’ve got one right here!” Undyne walked past the confused skeleton and roughly elbowed the giggling bag of bones to run a comb through Harry’s hair. After a few minutes, Harry looked less like a dandelion and more like a human child. His hair was still an absolute mess, but it was much more manageable. “There we go, punk! I think Toriel’s almost done with breakfast, why don’t you go say hello? Grillby might be in there too.” Undyne added with a wink, causing Harry to give a small indignant shriek and stomp off into the kitchen, ignoring the fresh wave of laughter from Sans.

            Harry paused just outside the kitchen, uncertainty filling his steps like lead. There she was, her back turned towards him as she and Grillby cooked bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Toriel Dreemurr, his mum.

            “And that should be enough for everyone, I’ll go check and see if—oh! Harry, I see you’re just in time for breakfast!” Toriel said, quickly sweeping him into an embrace before whispering in his ear, “Anytime you want to talk about it, mother’s here, alright my child?” Harry quickly returned the embrace and nodded his head.

            “Sans drew me a bubble bath… it was… nice.” Harry muttered softly, causing Toriel to laugh.

            “Well, Papyrus and Undyne should have set the table, would you like to help Grillby and I carry the food out?” Harry nodded and was handed a serving tray with various breakfast condiments, like syrup, butter, and ketchup (likely for Sans more than anyone else). Careful not to spill anything, Harry followed his mum out of the kitchen and into a dining room where Frisk and Mettaton were already waiting.

            “Oh, Harry dear! You look so charming today! Alphys will be down momentarily, here let me help!” Mettaton exclaimed as he gently took the serving tray and set the items on the table. “I absolutely insist that you sit between Frisk and Toriel with me—“

            “somewhere at the table and myself across from you. good idea, metts.” Sans chimed in out of nowhere, clapping Mettaton on the back with a challenging grin.

            In the end, Harry ended up between Frisk and his mum with Sans across. Papyrus sitting next to Sans and across from Frisk with Undyne on Papyrus’ other side with Alphys. Grillby sat next to Undyne with Mettaton all the way at the end. The table wasn’t that big, but the way Mettaton pouted, Harry would have thought he’d been seated in another room entirely. Why he was even there was a mystery considering he didn’t even eat, just attempted to converse with a very unamused Undyne and a nonplussed Grillby.

            Food was passed around and juice given to Frisk and Harry while most of the adults drank milk or tea (Sans exclusively drinking ketchup to no one’s surprise). Harry cut his food quietly and enjoyed the warm feeling he got at actually enjoying breakfast with everyone else instead of having scraps (if he was lucky) hours later. He was surprised when, upon taking a bite of his food, it seemed to partially dissolve in his mouth. He couldn’t recall it doing that before… but it tasted wonderful regardless. He quietly finished all the food on his plate, even if it was just shy of too much for him to handle. He wasn’t really used to eating large amounts of food.

            “Would you like anymore, Harry?” Toriel asked gently.

            “No thank you, mum. I’m pretty full.” Toriel smiled softly and ran a paw through his hair.

            “Very well then. You as well, Frisk? Why don’t you two put your dishes in the sink and go play for a bit? After we’re done cleaning up I plan on heading to… to Asgore.” Frisk nodded.

            “Alright, mom! Come on, Harry! Alphys has this manga that I think you’ll like!” Alphys squeaked in fear.

            “F-Frisk, p-please don’t show h-him anything inappropriate!” Frisk playfully glared at Alphys.

            “What kind of human do you take me for, Alphys?”

            “OH, ARE YOU GOING TO SHOW HIM THE ONE ABOUT BREAD MAKING?! IT IS NOT ABOUT PASTA, BUT THE PASSION THE MAIN CHARACTER HAS FOR BREAD MAY VERY WELL MATCH MY OWN COOL DUDE ATTITUDE! EVEN IF THERE ARE ENTIRELY TOO MANY PUNS!”

            “PUNK! The one about sword fighting guardsmen of death is the way to go! Strawberry won’t lose to anyone!”

            “you guys totally underestimate the power of Fullmetal Alchemist.” Sans huffed.

            “Mew Mew Kissy Cutie is a classic…” Alphys muttered under her breath as Frisk pulled Harry away from the table with a laugh and their dishes.

\--Wonder what the goopster is up to right about now?—

            Thick, thicker, yet thicker. The yarn became rope some time ago and G@$ter can’t help but wonder how much longer he has in the Void. Lily Potter disappeared some time ago but failed to mention how this rope of magic would pull him back into reality. Unless… _surely not?_

            Well… it was bound to be eventful, regardless as to _how_ he is finally freed from his current state of being. He only hoped his first meeting with his long lost sons wouldn’t be embarrassing. After what seems like an eternity in the Void, the last impression he wanted to make was a clumsy one.

\--We laugh because we _know_ now, for sure.—

            Toriel leaned against the doorjamb and watched Frisk tell Harry about the plot of a manga while showing him illustrations. She wasn’t entirely sure what all it was about, something about a guild with wizards… well, regardless, she was reluctant to break up the fun. If she was going to convince Asgore to accept the new situation, then he needed to see them in person. With Grillby, Undyne, Papyrus, and Sans at her side she can fight him off if necessary. She wasn’t entirely sure if Alphys and Mettaton were going to come along or stay behind. She just didn’t think it would be a good idea to leave them behind in an attempt to shield them, some part of her felt like the two would find their way to Asgore with or without her help, and she wasn’t going to shirk her duty as a mother any longer. _Not again._ Frisk suddenly looked up with a somewhat solemn expression.

            “Is it time to go already?” Toriel nodded, “Alright, come on, bro! We can borrow this from Alphys later! It’s time to free the monsters! WE ARE FILLED WITH DETERMINATION!” Frisk proclaimed loudly to encourage Harry as well. Harry just looked a little star struck.

            “Frisk… do you mean that? Me… me being your brother?” Harry looked rather small in that moment. Frisk, never one to shirk an opportunity, swept Harry in a hug.

            “But of course!... I know the pronoun thing is a little weird, so you’d just refer to me as sib Frisk! Got that little brother?” Harry laughed and embraced Frisk.

            “Yeah! I’ve never had a sib before!” Harry said in wonder. They pulled back as Toriel felt a sense of warmth permeate her very being. Being siblings may have been unofficial, but having it verbally accepted was a very heartwarming sight.

            “Well, Grillby has packed refreshments and snacks. The journey is not very far now, but the weather in Hotlands is not kind. At any point in time, if you think you need a break, either of you, just tell me and we will stop.” Both of her children nodded, hands locked together as they followed her downstairs where Grillby and the others were waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first off, I want to apologize. No one's complained yet, but I recall promising the end being right about now, but every time I think I will get to Asgore (And therefore Asriel) in that chapter, I find myself needing to flesh something else out. The last chapter it was having Sans do a little emotional clean up and the one before that it just occurred to me that Harry hadn't actually slept in some time now! And this one I remembered I promised breakfast and I thought it would be cheating to skip over the fact that they did have breakfast as a family. Second off, as for how Harry views the monsters in terms of relationships (specifically Sans), it's mostly a "these people are kind to me but is that friend or family" kind of setting. I think Harry would shy away from calling someone aunt, uncle, or cousin for a while, but those wounds are slowly healing. Sans would probably be that weird brother/uncle combo. He's incredibly understanding so far (which is more than his original uncle was, by far), and Harry does love his new friends/family. I know the gender neutral terms (such as agender and stuff) probably wasn't very wide spread, if at all while Frisk was a 'normal' kid, but I think we can just gloss over that. So, for sure, Toriel is mom (no one doubted that) and Frisk is sib (short for sibling as one of the few non gendered terms I could find). Papyrus will likely be the first one to definitely earn a spot as a hybrid family member. Likely Uncle/Brother with Sans also likely to take a similar role in Harry's life. As for the amount of hugging going on, Harry's a very affection starved child, and the monsters have no problems providing. It just happens that Harry was in extreme emotional need for physical reassurance with Sans nearby. Not on purpose or anything. I find my readers typically enjoy the little things that I write, but never really thing too hard about. And I cannot tell you guys how weird it was trying to answer the family one since I have another Undertale fanfic (with a heavy family setting but is rated Explicit for language reasons, which I will naturally recommend for reading if you enjoy sass and snark). I was like, "wait, is Harry 'officially' family with these guys or not?" because it usually only counts when one or both of them verbally acknowledge that bond. Anyway, the next chapter should be going through Hotlands and then meeting Asgore, but who knows. I might get side tracked. Again. Please do leave a comment or recommendation/request. I usually do take the little wants from readers into consideration. Especially since I soon have to face the choice of continue with this story above ground (but before Hogwarts) or to small time skips or just go right to it. Please, don't hold back. I love getting inspiration for my future chapters!
> 
> But seriously, I need to figure out if I just mow through, make another separate story to continue on the Hogwarts shenanigans, or have little slice of life bits for the next three years. Decisions, decisions, decisions.


	22. Return of the Blaster Master (It's a Magic Caster Disaster Better Get Some Plaster)

            It was very strange to be traveling with so many people, Harry thought. The air was hot and only getting hotter as they moved through the Hotlands towards the Core. Alphy was working on fixing the elevator and would catch up with them later along with Undyne (who would take the elevator because it was too hot for her to walk through on foot) and Mettaton. Harry wasn’t entirely sure why it was necessary to have so many moving platforms.

_Just be glad Alphys turned off all the lasers or this would take a lot longer._

_Chara! Were you sleeping?_

_Yeah, it’s a little weird that I need it so much, but it could be worse. I could need to **feast on the flesh of the innocent! Mwahahahaha!**_

_…Really Chara?_

_What?_

_Nothing… just… just nothing._ Harry redirected his attention to the train of people he was traveling with. Grillby took the lead with mum right behind, naturally, and carried Harry (despite his protests) and held Frisks’ hand. Sans and Papyrus walked behind them as rear guard. Not that there was any real need since most monsters in the area could only stare in awe. To liven up the otherwise quiet walk, Frisk talked about the various monsters they ran into in Snowdin. Sans used to chime in with a pun every other sentence but Papyrus was quick to reinforce a ‘be seen but not heard you pun fiend’ rule with a solid knock of a bone on Sans’ head. Every once in a while Sans would apparently give a rebellious look, but was quickly silenced by the ever on guard Papyrus.

            “…And Jerry—ugh—well there wasn’t much to do but ditch him.”

            “My child, that it rather rude.” Toriel said in disapproval

            “But mom! You’ve never met Jerry, he’s just so--! Ugh!” Frisk shook their head and continued anyway.

_Yeah, no one likes Jerry. He’s so obnoxious!_

            They walked through what looked like the kitchen set Frisk and Harry did the cooking show bit, which was weird considering Harry couldn’t recall walking through Hotlands to get to it. They were halfway through the kitchen set when Harry felt a strange tugging sensation on his chest. His hand went over his heart as he tried to figure out what it was. He didn’t even notice his mum stopping in concern.

            “My child, is something wrong?”

_What the heck?! Hold on Harry, I think there’s a… a rope here? What?!_

            Harry felt Chara pull back and watched in surprise as a hole in reality opened up in front of them. Static filled Harry’s ears as a figure was pulled roughly through with what looked like a thick pink rope. The tall figure skidded across the floor on its chest, face planted in what appeared to be a pile of flour. The hole closed back up as the figure groaned. Everyone gasped as the figure struggled to stand back up.

            It was tall and dressed in a black cloak that obscured most of his body save a white head with cracks in it. Bony white hands shot out from underneath to push the creature up and Harry was struck with the similarities between this new person and the two skeletons behind him. The already white face was covered in white flour, almost obscuring the black, crack-like markings on either side of his face. One going up the skull and the other going down on the other side. Little lights flickered inside the eye sockets. Orange and blue on the right and left side respectively but quickly faded into white like Sans’ eyes. He looked up at Harry and a strange form of a blush covered his face, he clearly was mortified. The color of his blush was a strange color gradient of orange to a greenish color to blue from right to left, like his eye color was mixing around the area that his nose would be if his face wasn’t like a mask as opposed to a skull like his sons.

            “O-Oh dear… as I expected.” A smooth baritone voice whispered in mortification.

            “D-Dadster?” Sans whispered in horror before dashing forward to tackle the strange man in a hug. Papyrus seemed hesitant but walked over and embraced the fallen man as well.

            “This… this is quite the surprise, W.D. Gaster…” Grillby said quietly as Gaster stood up, still not letting go of Sans and Papyrus.

            “Y-you and I both, old friend.” Gaster turned towards Harry and smiled, “Thank you Harry. It was your magic that pulled this old bag of bones back together again… you didn’t even need to find my shade monsters either… now they too may rest in peace.” Harry, confused but rather used to not knowing everything at once, nodded.

            “Um… you’re welcome. Are… are you Sans and Papryus’ dad?” He nodded. Sans and Papyrus finally pulled back from the embrace and Harry took in the fact that Gaster was just a little bit taller than Papyrus. At least he knew where Papyrus got his height from now.

            “Would you like to explain your… strange appearance as we go, Dr. Gaster? I’m afraid we still have some way ahead of us.” Mum said softly as Gaster nodded in acceptance, “After you dust off the flour, of course.” Mum said with a chuckle, paw gesturing to her face. The strange blush was back again as Gaster desperately wiped at his face. Harry took in the odd holes in Gaster’s palms but set it aside for later. He had a feeling that the holes weren’t the only strange thing about Gaster.

\--I was going to wait a while, but then I thought, why not distract myself again with Gaster?—

            Sans could not believe what was happening. When they stopped in the middle of freaking Mettaton’s kitchen set he felt like his head was being split open and the secrets shined under an intense light. Where shadows were once cast, Gaster now appeared. His father, creator of the Core. He was an assistant at the time, a young genius. When the Core began to overheat Gaster sent him back home where Papyrus (a baby bones, god, does he even remember their father?)was being watched by Grillby. He was never sure what happened to his Dadster, mostly because his memory quickly scrambled, leaving him with a sense of longing for a figure he could not recall clearly. No one could remember Gaster by the time Sans scribbled a childish drawing of three skeletons and the words ‘don’t forget’. There were whispers after that of strange gray monsters in the Hotlands that spoke of someone that fell into the Core, but no one could seem to recall the name.

            For once, Sans was quiet as Gaster explained what had happened. He knew that it would take a magical explosion to offset the energy within the Core, or it would explode. So, he sent Sans away and cast himself into his creation. His form was scattered across time and space but stuck to the walls of the barrier. When he helped Sans extract the Splinter in Harry, Harry wrapped a thin thread of magic around his wrist. (Sans could remember hearing Gaster now, his eyes watered slightly but he held strong). That thread of magic grew over time until it was strong enough to pull him back into reality. He spoke of the ghost of Lily Potter who explained the magic.

            “Harry, your mother loved you dearly, but it takes beyond excruciating circumstances to allow the dead to communicate with the living…” it was unsaid that Chara was such a circumstance. They were almost to Muffet’s place by the time Gaster finished. The monster traffic was significantly less due to Alphys not resetting the puzzles to hold back the various students and workers traveling to the city. Frisk’s phone buzzed as Alphys texted that the elevator was working now.

            “I think now would be a good place to rest for a short time. Alphys, Undyne, and Mettaton will catch up with us in a moment.” Toriel said as they walked up to Muffet’s stand. Harry let out a small gasp as Muffet stood up in surprise.

            “Oh my, customers! And I spy, with my little eyes, a cute little human with green eyes! I heard you tipped my friends in the Ruins, my dear~!” Muffet said cheerfully. Harry blushed and nodded. At least some things don’t change, it’ll be a while yet before positive attention doesn’t cause Harry to blush a vivid red.

            “I really liked the food there… and your outfit is pretty.” Harry said bashfully. Muffet tittered softly in reply.

            “Ahuhuhu~! Aren’t you a charmer~!” Harry blushed a deeper red and hide behind Toriel’s ears.

            “How much are your items?” Toriel asked

            “Well, this is actually a fundraiser to help procure a ride for my spiders in the Ruins. But… recently, it has come to my attention that my prices are so much that I may quickly raise the needed amount, but no one can afford to buy. So, my adjusted prices are as such: Spider Donuts are 12G and Spider Cider is 20G. More than the Ruins, I hear, but sales have already gone up significantly.” Muffet said with a smile. Sans knew that they would probably be charged the max amount if it hadn’t of been for Harry and Toriel’s presence, but couldn’t be bothered to care. _So much is changing… is this really the end?_

\--It’s time we finally got to the end, seriously. This is getting ridiculous.—

            The elevator was rather full as the entire gang rode along until the doors opened. They were quiet and solemn as they walked through the suddenly gray scale world and to the house that looked identical to Toriel’s.

            Harry was particularly quiet as Chara brokenly narrated the event that started it all.

_Harry… I never told you about what I was like alive, did I? Heh… I didn’t have a happy home life on the surface, so I went down the very same hole you did on Mt. Ebott. There, a strange monster found me. He was the prince, Asriel Dreemurr. Son of Asgore and Toriel Dreemurr. And they adopted me into their home. The entire underground was filled with Hope, Harry. Hope that they would be free one day. They believed so much in me Harry… after some time, I decided to bring meaning to my existence. I decided to free them all. Don’t ever make the same mistake I did Harry… Because of my actions, well, I wasn’t the only one to pay the price. Asriel did too. As well as everyone else… Self-sacrifice is a noble course of action, but a selfish one as well. **There is always another way. You are worth more than the outcome of your death…**. I just wish I had known that before._

            Harry nuzzled into Toriel’s fur so no one could see the tears forming in his eyes. The story of Chara and Asriel (and the beginnings of Flowey) was not a happy one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, ask and you will receive, I guess. First off, I finally stopped stalling with fluff (not that you guys seemed to mind)! We're almost there! There is almost nothing I can distract myself with now! Thanks you guys for the rather sudden influx of comments. I think I will write some Aftertale pre-Hogwarts stuff. Just enough so that the cast is settled into normal life. I mean, it's almost two years before Hogwarts happens. And no, Sirius won't be popping up just yet, since (I really don't consider this a spoiler or anything, but simple deduction) Albus won't bother to check on Harry until he is due for school. He may approach and try to get Harry back in England (and fail), before springing Sirius in hopes of having Sirius take custody of Harry and return him to England. What? He's damn near leader of the magical world, I think he can spring for a retrial if he really tried. Oh, and I was talking to my roommate about this story and mentioned Gaster finally appearing, and how he was just a little taller than Papyrus, and she dissolved into this process of mathematically deducting how tall most of the cast it from that. So, I now have real world logistics for this! Enjoy! MATH IS FREAKING HARD.
> 
> Harry: 3ft 9 in  
> Frisk: 5ft 6 in  
> Sans: 5ft 11in  
> Papyrus: 6ft 9in  
> W.D. Gaster: 7ft  
> Undyne: 6ft 10in  
> Alphys: 5ft 4in  
> Toriel: 7ft 6in  
> Asgore: 7ft 8in  
> Mettaton(calculator): 6ft 6in  
> Mettaton (X even if he hasn't appeared): 6ft 8in


	23. Because I Could Not Stop for Death, Death Kindly Stopped For Me...

            After collecting the needed keys (Toriel appearing more tense by the moment), they moved through the basement and a golden hallway. It didn’t escape Harry’s notice that Sans and Frisk had a peculiar look on their face, nor the total silence Chara had that seemed heavier than before. The entire group paused just outside a doorway where Harry could just see a large figure crouching amongst the golden flowers. Toriel shifted Harry in her arms before passing him to Gaster, who happened to be closest. Harry could almost see the heavy weight upon his mum’s shoulders as she walked into the room and stopped a few short feet behind Asgore, who hummed softly under his breath. Toriel brought a paw up to her mouth and coughed softly, Asgore’s entire figure seeming to snap to attention.

            “H-Howdy… Tori… it’s been a long time.” Harry didn’t need to see the King’s face to know he was at the brink of tears. Something in Toriel’s posture broke at the hoarse voice of her ex-husband.

            “Indeed it has, Dreemurr… I assume you know why I’m here?” Asgore stood up to his full height, which was just slightly taller than Toriel herself.

            “To show an old fool what he should already know?” Asgore’s shoulders shifted as he heaved out a small sob, “That his wife was right all along? T-That there was a better way? I… if there is a way to make up for my sins, I know no better person to show me than my dearest Tori.” Asgore turned around slowly and looked his ex-wife in the eye. Whatever he found caused him to flinch slightly. Toriel’s voice was unyielding, but not as cold as it was before.

            “It will take time, Dreemurr, to make up for what you’ve done… but showing Mercy is a good start.” Asgore’s face lit up as he started forward, as though to embrace Toriel, before stopping himself.

            “Even if I do not deserve such a thing?” He whispered with all the weight of his kingdom on his chest.

            “Asgore.” Toriel said, breaking him from his self-pity, “Even you are not beyond Mercy… would you like to meet the human children… my children?” Asgore nodded as his eyes finally went past Toriel’s face. His eyes widened as he saw Gaster before his gaze slid down to Harry. Harry felt very small in that moment as he waved slightly to Asgore, the king smiling softly in return.

            The group shambled in as Frisk walked forward and greeted Asgore.

            “Hello, King Fluffybuns! I’m Frisk!” Frisk declared with a smile, the two royal monsters blushing strongly. Asgore whined softly as he looked at Toriel, who notably refused to look at Asgore, before he kneeled down to shake Frisk’s hand. Gaster set Harry down and gave him a gentle push forward, towards Asgore.

            “H-Hello, I’m Harry Potter.” Harry extended his hand and smiled uncertainly as Asgore enveloped his hand in a very warm and soft handshake.

            “It… it is nice to meet you two. I am Asgore Dreemurr.” The room seemed to brighten as the occupants relaxed for the first time since they left the Hotlands.

            The moment didn’t last for long.

            **“Isn’t this charming? The whole gang together? Why… I’m _touched_.”** Thick green vines shot out of the ground and knocked everyone to the ground but Frisk before restraining them off the ground. A small yellow flower popped up in front of Frisk with a sneer. **“Why, now the whole family is here, isn’t that nice?”**

_Oh, Asriel… I’m so sorry._

            Chara whimpered in the back of Harry’s mind. He almost missed it with how painfully tight the vines were. Harry felt a pulse inside his Soul as his mind connected the dots. Suddenly, Harry stopped struggling and focused on that warm feeling in his chest. Flowey dropped Harry as though he was burned as a soft orange light radiated from Harry’s skin.

            **“W-What are you doing over there, you idiot?!”** Harry groaned softly as he sat up and looked over at Frisk and Flowey, both shocked but only Flowey showed a hint of fear. White bullets spawned as shot towards Harry, but a wall of fire stopped them. Harry stood up and walked forward with a certainty he didn’t know he possessed.

            “Worry not, my child. I will protect you always.” Toriel said reassuringly, trusting that Harry’s magic was behind the sudden change.

            **“S-Stop that! I’ll kill you!”** another round of bullets only to be blocked by bones.

            “WORRY NOT, HARRY! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL PROTECT YOU!”

            “just a few more steps, kid. do whatever it is you gotta do.” Sans said laughingly.

            Harry was only five feet away.

            “I-I-I’m sure you can do whatever it is you n-n-need to do.”

            Four feet.

            “PUNK! CAN YOU WALK ANY FASTER? I mean, it’s really cool, but seriously dude.” Harry obliged and moved faster until he was just in front of Flowey. He kneeled down slightly to look the petrified flower in the eye.

            **“S-S-St** op it… w-what are you going to do?!” Flowey muttered mutinously. With his magic and his friends, there wasn’t much Flowey could do against Harry. Harry smiled and embraced Flowey, the warm orange light now consumed the two.

            “Help you.” and the world dissolved into black.

\--Well, I didn’t expect that to happen.—

            Asriel opened his eyes and took a deep breath. It was freeing to finally be more than a vague feeling inside a flower. These small moments of peace almost made the constant resets worth it. He flexed his paws and turned around, prepared to say his lines, but stopped. It wasn’t Frisk that stood before him, but another human.

            “H-Howdy…” Asriel took in the vivid green eyes and wild black hair, only just realizing that he didn’t have all those Souls inside him anymore, “W-What have you done?” the human smiled.

            “I helped you.” Something flickered behind the human and the ghostly form of Chara appeared, exactly as Asriel remembered.

            “Greeting, cry baby.” Chara said with tears in their eyes, “ _I’m so sorry…_ ” Asriel felt his knees go weak.

            “C-Chara, it’s finally you?! I-I’m so sorry, Chara! I wasn’t strong enough!” Asriel bawled, furry paws scrubbing away at his drenched fur.

            “No… I wasn’t strong enough. I let hate consume me, and by extension, you… you were strong enough… kind enough to fight against my madness. None of it was your fault.”

            “Well, I’d hate to _kill_ the party, but it was _boned_ to happen.” A familiar voice said. All three of them looked over to see Sans… only a little different. Dressed in a black cloak with a scythe, Sans looked like the reaper.

            “Sans?!” the human called in confusion. The skeleton winked.

            “Yeah, that’s my name, don’t wear it out… well, I’m not the Sans you’re familiar with, I just thought a familiar face would be more relaxing than my usual form. I’m Death, and the underground has been a pain in my side for a _very_ long time. In fact, a lot of things going on down here have been bugging me, or rather, my colleagues. Do you know how much complaining I hear from that gear head? He just goes on and on about the time stream. I say to him ‘why are you worried, got a tight schedule or something’? I mean, everything ends, even the underground and that stupid barrier.” Sans continued on for a bit.

            “Um… excuse me, Sans? Why are you here?” Sans looked over at the human and smiled.

            “Got to admit, you’re a favorite of mine kid. Every universe you appear in gets interesting real quick. Harry Potter, Boy Who Lived. Pft. Titles, am I right? But I didn’t come here just to chat. You see, I’m a real patient guy, I can do nothing for a long time and my job will be done one way or another, but you’ve solved quite a few of my problems in this ‘verse. The Amalgamates. Gaster. And now these two. I mean, they’re supposed to be dead, but monsters have always been a special case. They’ll die. Eventually. And usually when they’re good and ready, which is great, because I get enough of humans complaining about it being too soon, ya know? Anyway, I came to make a deal with you three.” Harry looked over at Chara and Asriel before turning back to Sans.

            “What kind of deal?”

            “No need to look so cautious, kid. It’s a good deal. You see, if I leave you guys alone, Asriel over here will just become a flower again, your magic isn’t quite enough to piece together his Soul. Chara will be doomed to wonder the earth until the end of this universe. But, I can change that. Usually, I’m all for not doing anything. I’m also not supposed to meddle. But deals are a time-honored tradition with personification deities. And all you have to do, kid, is gather three things and send every part of Tom Riddle to me, which will probably happen on its own thanks to your new family. Technically, it’s your destiny, but free will has always been a gift for the living.” Sans opened his hand to reveal a triangle with a circle inside with a line splitting it down the middle. The three components separated and formed a starry cloak, a stone, and a stick of some kind.

            “In your universe, a very long time ago, I made a deal with three magicians, brothers, for escaping my grasp (actually, I was just trying to prank them, but magicians seem to lack a sense of humor). One asked for a wand that could never be beaten. The Elder Wand. The middle brother asked for the ability to call back the dead. The Resurrection stone. And the youngest asked for a way to leave that place without anyone being able to follow. Even me. The Invisibility Cloak. Each object, if you may have guessed, had a flaw. The wand causes the owner to get ahead of himself. Overconfidence. The Resurrection Stone can only call shades of the deceased. Mere imprints that if left, will go mad. The Invisibility Cloak, while the safest object to own, does have a tendency to give the owner bad luck or unwanted attention. Look, all you have to do, is gather them. I don’t care how long it takes. I got time. But you do that, and I’ll consider us square for my side of the deal.” Sans said lazily.

            “What would that be?” Chara asked suspiciously. Sans fixed his gaze on Chara.

            “I will give Asriel the entirety of his Soul back. The parts magic can’t make up for. And I will give you a choice. I can’t return you to your life as a human. Most of your Soul has already been reincarnated, as I’m sure you are aware of. But, a human Soul has always been more potent than a Monster Soul. Either you take a new lease on life as a ghost, able to interact minimally with the world, but your life directly connected to the kid, or you become a monster… So, do we have a deal?” Sans said, his boney hand outstretched. Harry didn’t hesitate to shake Sans’ hand.

            “Thank you, Sans.” Sans froze before his smile melted into a softer grin.

            “Heh, yeah… you’re welcome, Harry.” Sans winked, “Just pay attention to your Soul, kid. It’s been touched by Death, like a _murder_ of crows, birds of a feather flock together.” Sans chuckled at his own dark joke as Harry felt the world tilt, the cawing of birds echoing in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that happened. Gee, I wonder what will be the result of this? Ghost Chara, or monster Chara? In all likelihood, if Chara does choose being a monster, then it'll be a goat monster... or whatever the hell Toriel, Asgore, and Asriel are. Also, I just couldn't resist referencing Reaper!Sans. I mean, it's still death, but at least Sans is more approachable as the reaper than the HP version! Death takes many forms after all! He talked a lot, which I didn't intend to happen, but at least I snuck in a few jokes! And Harry totally doesn't mind doing a scavenger hunt in return for saving Goat Bro and Murder Child! Can't wait to see how everyone reacts to this! Hah! Well, Enjoy! We're finally pretty much done with Undertale plot!
> 
> Oh, and it wasn't stated in this chapter, but don't expect Determined Souls to have the ability to Reset/Load/Save after this. At least, not totally. It would take a serious amount of Determination to Reset the timeline outside of the barrier. And if they weren't aware they could before, they likely wouldn't be able to Save/Load either, otherwise Tom wouldn't have lost. Also, my roommate told me to stop with the gemstone analogies, unless I wanted to do a Steven Universe crossover. It was an accident in the first place, because I was just trying to find a good color for Harry's Soul, and Fire Opal kind of came up, but if I do describe a Soul as a gem, I don't mean it beyond color and how it might be representative of that person in meaning. I don't think I can handle a three-way crossover between HP, Undertale, and Steven Universe right now. It just seems boring to say pale orange when I could be saying "Fire Opal" or "Fiery Orange". And I did settle on a color for Siruis' soul. Not Garnet, unfortunately, but it occurred to me that a few chapters back I looked in on Albus and he realized something had happened, so we just might be seeing Sirius sooner than expected. I've also settled on exactly what Dementors do to Souls, so we'll also get that as well. I'll likely do Aftertale as a separate story (short probably unless drama happens) and then have another separate story for when Harry goes to school at Hogwarts.


	24. Free Will is Magic

            Chara watched in worry as Harry slowly faded from sight. They turned towards Sans with a frown.

            “Where did Harry go?” Sans gave Chara a long look.

            “He’s such a sweet kid, he really is, but I figured that this conversation would be better without Harry… so, Chara. What’s your decision? Casper or _kid_?” Chara looked at him suspiciously.

            “Chara… I’m already getting a second chance. He promised. No matter what you chose, I will support you.” Asriel said reassuringly, his paw grasping their semi-intangible hand.

            “Well, let me clarify this for you. Both forms allow you some form of connection to the kid, that magical protection is some pretty complex stuff, so why bother destroying it? As a ghost, you will have the ability to appear in the real world, but only have true form within Harry’s own mind. Manipulation of the physical plane will be difficult. Needless to say, neither you nor Frisk will have the ability to Reset. Save and Load, sure, if _they_ can find a save point. But Reloading will take a massive amount of Determination. I doubt that even dying will give them that much Determination.” Sans shrugged, “Just consider yourself lucky that Frisk will even be able to do that much. It’s a matter of size, you see? The structure of the underground allowed you and Frisk to do whatever you please, but the rest of the universe will hardly bow to the whims of a child.” Chara looked in consideration at Sans.

            “What about being a monster? What draw backs does that give me?”

            “Well, a much weaker connection to Harry, for one. I imagine you might be able to find him easily or communicate telepathically if you try hard enough. You will naturally be weaker than a human, but you already know all about the strength and weaknesses of monsters, don’t you? Magic will be interesting for you, but I’m not entirely sure what you’ll be able to do. You might have fire magic, like Toriel, or even that weird trident thing Asgore does. You know, fun fact, that’s made entirely of Determination. It’s why it can break reality to a small degree, as you might have noticed. As a matter of a fact, breaking reality on a small scale is likely to be an inherited thing, isn’t that right, _Absolute God of Hyper Death_?” Sans said, his eyes void of light as he turned towards Asriel. Asriel began to break out in a cold sweat until a moment later when Sans laughed, breaking the tense moment.

            “…I thought he was mad for a moment there.” Asriel muttered in relief.

            “Nah, I’m not mad. It’s kind of adorable, really. Besides, the light show was always interesting to see.” Sans said lightly. Chara thought long and hard on what to do.

            “Before I decide, can I ask a question?” Sans nodded, “Why are you giving us a second chance like this? Why are you giving _me_ a second chance?” Sans froze, his skull forming little droplets of sweat as he rubbed the back of his head.

            “Heheh… you ask a good question.” Sans let out a sigh, “You’re both such sorry creatures. Seeing the dead hang around long after their welcome is rarely pleasant. I mean, don’t get me wrong, everything _does end_. A certain… collegue of mine was never really happy with it. Very much a bleeding heart, that guy. In most of his incarnations, actually. So, this is a chance to see another version of him that’s actually happy with something I’ve done. I mean, being accepted is nice, but _appreciated_ is a little different. This is a chance for me to have a more positive relationship.” Chara and Asriel looked at Sans in confusion, breaking Sans of his moment with an awkward cough.

            “Okay then… your weird relationship aside, I think I know what I want now.” Chara said with a sense of finality. Sans’ eye flashed blue as he grinned sharply.

            “That look… that’s the look of someone who knows how the kid will react if you chose wrong, isn’t it?” Chara nodded.

            “Being a ghost would allow me to watch Harry easier, sure, but Harry would always have that small voice in the back of his head telling him I made a bad choice for his sake alone… and besides, I think I’ve avoided my folks long enough.” Chara said with a smile.

            “Very well then, so be it.” Sans said with a sweep of his scythe, “Just don’t get too _swept up_ with emotion there, kid.”

\--Because I like referencing the work I make fanfiction of innocuously.—

            Harry groggily awoke with a ringing in his head and a conversation that seemed far away. If he focused, he could just make out the familiar but misplaced voices.

            “…he….okay?”

            “WHO…TINY CLONES…?!” Harry sneezed as something soft and furry brushed his nose. Groaning as his head pounded, Harry opened his eyes as the world came back into focus. His face was tucked into the front of a green and yellow stripped sweater, a long and fluffy ear trapped between his face and the fabric. Pulling back he saw that it was Asriel… at least, he thought it was, but cuddling maybe-Asriel’s back was also… Asriel? The two looked nearly identical, though the face of the maybe-Asriel holding him was a bit more rounded. Softer, somehow.

            “Um…” all confusion was cleared when dusky red eyes fluttered open and looked down at him, “Oh! Chara.” Asriel whined softly and curled into Chara a little more before resting his head on their shoulder and blinking blearily at him. Asriel’s eyes a dark amethyst color.

            “Hey…” Asriel let out a wide yawn, “Harry…” his eyes fluttered shut before snapping back open as he gasped. Asriel’s head whipped over to his parents as tears welled up in his eyes. Asgore and mum looked near tears as well.

            “A-Asriel! It’s really you!” Mum whispered as Asgore kneeled down to Asriel’s height, his hands shaking as he softly cupped Asriel’s face.

            “My son…” Chara refused to look up at the three, anxiety clear in their features.

            “And my child… Chara!” Mum was quick to sweep all three of them into a solid hug, Asgore’s arms hesitantly wrapping around mum’s shaking form as she sobbed. After a few long moments Asgore and mum pulled back, their fur damp with tears but smiling brightly. “Later.” Mum said decisively, “Later we will talk about how this has happened, but for now… I think it’s time to see the surface for the first time in what seems like centuries.”

            “Harry!” Frisk said lowly with excitement, “You did it! You really did it!”

            “yeah kid, not sure how, but you broke the barrier.” Sans said softly.

            “INDEED! IT WAS MOST UNPRECIDENTED! THOUGH…I AM UNSURE AS TO WHAT HAPPENED. I RECALL A TINY FLOWER HOLDING US HOSTAGE AND THEN… NOTHING!”

            “Yeah punk, it was epic! Just like in those human history books!” Undyne said in excitement.

            “I-I-It was a-awesome!”

            “you could say it was…”

            “SANS! SANS NO!”

            “ _Sans yes…_ a _crowning_ achievement.” Papyrus threw back his skull and shrieked indignantly.

            “AAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH! WORST. ENDING. EVER!” Soft laughter rang in the air as Asgore lifted Chara and Asriel into his arms and mum took Frisk’s hand. Together, they stepped into the warm light of the sunrise. Harry had to blink a few times at how warm and bright it was outside, his smile wide and happy. “WHAT IS THAT BRIGHT LIGHT?!”

            “we call that the sun, paps.”

            “OH… I’M GOING TO FIGHT IT!” Papyrus exclaimed before being held back by Undyne.

            “HOLD IT PUNK! You can’t break the surface! We just got here! Besides, I’m sure it’ll take a bit more than just walking into the nearest town and introducing ourselves! Isn’t that right, Asgore?!” Asgore nodded.

            “Yes… memory fails me as to why the war originally started, but just running rampant on the surface will likely cause another war out of fear… though, I am at a loss as to how we are to prevent panic.”

            “Perhaps I can help.” a smooth male voice said from the far right. Everyone turned in shock.

            “WOAH! WHO THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, PUNK, SNEAKING UP ON PEOPLE LIKE THAT?!” Undyne exclaimed as she positioned herself in front of the group.

            “I’m with the American Confederation of Magic and my superiors have an offer for you.” The middle aged man in a crisp black suit said amicably, seemingly unfazed by their appearance.

\--Alternate dialogue introductions were “I’m Sailor Moon”, “I am Sherlock Holmes on vacation”, and “I work with S.H.I.E.L.D, I’m Phil Coulson”. But, alas, this is a HP crossover. Oh, and this is how AMC knew where to go and shit.—

            It was a regular Monday morning working on the M.S.M.S. (Magical States Monitoring System, a division dedicated solely to detecting changes in magic fields across the US). A low level intern watched the almost hypotic magical field surrounding Mt. Ebbott. Technology, though picky, could do wonders when tinkered with to accept magical interfaces. Being able to visually see fields of magic in any monitored area was very interesting in theory, but boring in practice of eight hour shifts. It was almost the end of intern Phil’s shift when it happened. The kalediscope of colors surrounding the mysterious mountain area just… popped. A wave of energy swept through the area, originating from the point of origin, and ran clear through the very borders of the continent (though the monitor wasn’t currently watching more than the Mt. Ebbott area). Phil jerked awake and froze, momentarily unaware of anything but a single thought. _The phenomenon is gone… just… gone._ Then training kicked in and three minutes later the highest authorities in AMC were aware of the incident. Unsure as to what they would encounter, they sent their best agent. Codename Agent Clearheart.

\--And this is where Sirius fans rejoice, because Albus is on the move, and where Dumbledore goes, the HP plot will follow.—

            Albus Dumbledore was a flurry of action. Within an hour of realizing Harry Potter was gone, he was at the Dursleys home and interrogating (how he hated to call it that, but Petunia was far too hostile for a simple chat) them on his whereabouts. Their minds seemed oddly clouded. They knew that they left (LEFT! Did he really leave poor Harry with such unpleasant individuals?!) Harry somewhere in America _‘where the freak belonged’_. That left Albus to doing what he did best. Plotting his next move.

            If he alerted the Ministry, then Fudge would likely push whatever paperwork he had to in order for a team of Aurors to search the country. But then there would be panic and Albus himself will likely not escape the scandal unscathed. Or… he could go looking himself. See if any of his old friends were still willing to help. Besides, if the magical population of England got word that Harry Potter was missing, then who knows how many desperate individuals would storm the States? No… solo was for the best. But before he left, he needed to find better lodgings for Harry. Clearly, if the Dursleys were willing to go to a whole other country to abandon the boy, they would likely do so again, if not something far worse.

            He wracked his brain for a suitable home. Everyone with a right to Harry was either dead, incapacitated, or in Azkabam… ah yes, Sirius Black… a sorrowful memory for Albus. He didn’t even witness the trial in all the chaos after Voldemort’s demise… trial? Trial?! Albus searched his impressive memory for the trial that convicted Sirius Black. Everyone was so sure of his guilt. Even Albus himself, but with his recent blinding failure (he planned for the worst case scenario to be abuse, not abandonment entirely!), he couldn’t help but wonder. No one else could have betrayed the Potters, but… if he was wrong. He felt his heart drop. If he was wrong, an innocent man has been falsely imprisoned for almost eight years now.

            It was a very sobering thought that the great Albus Dumbledore might have very well of been very wrong. But how to fix it? _Well, Sirius didn’t have a trial. If I phrase it as some memorial to the Potters, purely ceremony so that when Harry Potter returns to the magical world he can find peace in his parent’s murder, Fudge just might do it. Best to ensure he can’t back out. And that there is Verituserum._ And so, Albus began planning how to undue one of his greatest mistakes since Tom Riddle’s childhood home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go! I'll probably round off aftertale in this one. Not 100%. But Harry's school years will be in a separate story. Enjoy! I'm all pooped out right now. That and my roommates are playing a movie in front of me. Very distracting.


	25. Questionare Galore: Sponsored by the AMC

            Agent Clearheart pulled out his badge.

            “You may want to warn your people not to leave the mountain and surrounding forest just yet. I’m not suggesting they can’t leave, just that they should avoid being seen just yet.” Asgore nodded.

            “I will make the announcement. Chara. Asriel. Please stay here with your mother.” Asgore set the two down and went back inside.

            “I’ll go help him make an announcement over the TV stations!” Mettaton proclaimed before wheeling away. Toriel regarded Agent Clearheart carefully.

            “Precisely what sort of deal is your government suggesting?” Toriel asked suspiciously.

            “Well, as of right now, I can’t give you specifics. But the AMC has two options. Usually when a sentient race of magical beings are discovered, the AMC is quick to provide reservations for them to live in peace, but recent events cast some doubts on the continued secrecy of magic.” Harry squinted a little.

            “So magic is real on the surface?” Clearheart looked Harry in the eye and nodded before freezing.

            “My apologies, but are you Harry Potter?” Harry nodded, “Then this makes things a lot more complicated…” Clearheart said mysteriously.

            “it’s because of his parents, isn’t it?” Sans asked. Clearheart looked at him in surprise.

            “Yes… how did you—“

            “I have made the announcement. For the moment, my people are just happy to see the sun.” Asgore said with Mettaton following him. “Is there somewhere we may go to discuss what your government wants?” Clearheart nodded.

            “Yes. I have a portkey to our base. It will take us to the meeting room where you will be provided refreshments while the AMC upper level agents will ask you questions. Depending on your answers you may qualify to live in the open. Each of these badges are to be firmly clipped onto an article of clothing. It’s your visitors pass as ambassadors of your people. I believe I have a magnetic one for…”

            “The names Mettaton, handsome~”

            “Yes, I believe this will work just fine for you, Mettaton. When you’re ready, I will announce the password. These portkeys are much steadier than the standard variety, but I recommend you not move around until your feet are firmly planted at our destination.” Clearheart instructed as he passed around the badges and each one was clipped onto their clothing. “Ready? Good. _Freedom_.” And the world spun around until they found themselves in a large conference room with a tray of food and drinks laid out. “If you find the refreshments provided are not to your tastes, don’t force yourself. Just ask one of the attendants for a suitable option. While you are waiting, the attendants will ask questions to fill out some preliminary paperwork. You do not have to answer every question presented, but if you refrain from answering, please provide an explanation. The AMC has specific guidelines to respect individual beliefs and cultures that newly registered individuals may have. We are both learning about each other right now, so cooperation and understanding is key. By the time we are done, my superiors should be ready to make a risk assessment of the previously mentioned options. Thank you for your cooperation.” Clearheart said as a line of people came in through the far door with clipboards.

            Everyone took a seat close together, Papyrus and Sans sitting side by side. Across the short table from each monster and human an attendant took a seat. Food trays were passed around with drinks as the lines of questions started up. Elsewhere, the AMC was looking into the magic residue to find out exactly what sort of anomaly had settled on the mountain. Within the hour, they would discover the time differences between the inside of the mountain and the outside, as well as the short range wormholes from various places on earth that were slowly dissipating.

            “Name?”

            “sans. sans the skeleton.”

            “THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

            “Toriel Dreemurr.”

            “Undyne!”

            “O-Oh! I’m Dr. Alphys. It’s n-n-nice to meet you.”

            “Species?”

            “Monster.” There was a pause after that.

            “Race?”

            “Monster.”

            “Alright then. Occupation?” and so the line of questioning went.

            “What are your species’ preferred food source?”

            “OH! W-Well, technically, monsters can ingest anything, due to our physiology being mostly magic. Nothing is wasted from what we eat, so we don’t actually require toilets and such, but we prefer to eat objects meant for ingestion in the first place. No one’s had meat since we were sealed underground, but I read somewhere that meat is also an option. All our meat-like products are actually made from the plants that grew underground. Taste preference is a big part of it really…” Alphys went red and looked embarrassed.

            “YEAH! Pretty much what my bae said. Monsters _can_ eat almost anything since our magic digests everything for us, but usually it’s up to the monster on what they like to eat.” Undyne said proudly.

            “Alright, now this is a question for everyone. Is there something we should know about for the record that may not be handled well by the majority of the population? For example, we once had a rather small species of sentient ducks that feasted on human flesh. Naturally, most people would be unnerved by this, and as such, are unlikely to be allowed within the civilian population. We found alternatives, but they would still go for human meat when possible.” Asgore and Toriel looked at each other and nodded.

            “Well, there was a condition of the barrier that kept us underground, you see…” Asgore spoke of the barrier, the Souls, and monsters ability to absorb Souls.

            “Souls?” Frisk spoke up after that.

            “Actual Souls. Exactly what you think it is. They can pull out Souls and look at their stats. Mine’s Red, which means Determination. I’m not sure what Harry’s is. His was changing color because of a complex situation at the time.”

            “Um…” The attendant was dumbfounded, “Is… is it personal?”

            “well, monsters may not have a sparkling opinion of humans until recently, but we always respected Souls. it’s the culmination of your very being. our physical forms are an extension of our Souls and… well, we can get into that later, but if Harry doesn’t mind, I’m sure tori would like to check on his Soul anyway.” Sans said as he leaned back in his chair and drank from a ketchup bottle.

            “I don’t mind, mum, can you check for me?” Toriel gave the humans a look.

            “Very well, if you insist, my child.” Toriel put a furry paw to his chest and pulled. His Soul shined brightly in a pale yellow orange color. The small lightning bolt scar on the side now a pale emerald green color. “It seems your Soul has settled, Harry. Though I am not familiar with the color…” Alphys cleared her throat.

            “I-I can’t be sure without my equipment, but I think it is a lighter variation of Bravery and Justice… Usually a pale hue means it’s a magic color (Patience being the exception). The green part is obviously a very strong streak of Kind Love. S-Say, Harry, what do you feel?” Harry looked down at his Soul in thought. He thought about the AMC, what their mysterious plan was, and what his life would be like from now on. At that moment, Harry Potter realized he was filled with—

            “Curious Hope.”

\--Now for what that plan was!—

            The attendants filed out, clearly excited for the new discoveries they found. Souls being real? How amazing! A few minutes later a tall man in a black suit walked in, his features stern, and his shoulders broad. Dark brown hair graying at the temples matched the steel gray of his eyes.

            “Hello, I am the Secretary of Defense of the AMC. I am pleased to announce that you qualify for Operation Boiled Frog…” he paused at the worried expression on their faces, “It comes from the method of boiling frogs…? You know, put them in cool water and slowly raise the temperature?” He shook his head, “Let me start over. I am Vincent Riven. Would you like to hear about the option you qualify for?”

            “Um, yes. I would like to hear about this new option.”

            “Well, you see, the magical society is hidden, all over the world, from our non-magical counterparts. But with every generation non-magical society advances, and soon, we may find ourselves unable to hide. To prevent mass panic, we are initializing a program to slowly introduce magic into mainstream society. It is a secret plan agreed upon by the highest officials of every country. America has been selected as the testing grounds. We are to select a race of sentient, but magical, beings to ‘come out’ as they say. We will offer our support to that race to make the best impression on the world as possible. It is potentially dangerous, I won’t lie to you, but you have the full backing of the AMC if you so wish. The other option is to live on a magically secured reservation for your people.” Asgore looked at Toriel and everyone else in the room.

            “THAT SOUNDS AMAZING!” Papyrus exclaimed.

            “IS THAT A CHALLENGE, HUMAN?!” Undyne shouted, “I BET I COULD GET THE ENTIRE WORLD AND SUPLEX THEM--! I… I mean, I bet I could make the entire world love us!” Undyne sputtered in embarrassment before sitting back down.

            “I assume the rest of you are in agreement?” Asgore asked solemnly, only to be met with nods.

            “Then we would like to try, Mr. Riven.” Riven smiled widely.

            “Great! Now to move onto the other issue, were you aware that you have a hero of an entire country?” Harry paled.

            “I-I don’t have to go back, do I?” Harry asked as he clutched Toriel’s dress. Riven softened a little at the fear in Harry’s eyes.

            “Well, that depends. Why are you in America, Harry Potter?” Harry looked down, his face tinted red.

            “his… relatives abandoned him at Mt. Ebbott. now, if you try and insist he go back to those cretins, you’re going to have a **B A D  T I M E**.” Sans said with a stark seriousness that shocked the room. Riven looked in surprise at the usually lazy skeleton.

            “Abandoned, you say? We’re going to have to ask questions about your relatives, Harry. But, I’d like to make a statement right now.” Riven drew himself up to his full height, all six feet three inches, “The AMC doesn’t support child abuse… and it seems you have found a very suitable family already. Frisk over there doesn’t have to worry about the foster care system either, mostly because, technically, Frisk is in their forties. Oh, we need to talk about that, as well.” Riven said with a sense of finality. Harry had a feeling that this was going to be a long day. But looking around the room at his loving family, Harry couldn’t help but feel that he wouldn’t trade it for the whole world. Curious, but also Hopeful. That was how Harry felt at that moment, and he held onto that feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the time this is uploaded, I will have started the Aftertale continuation. It will likely be a bit shorter, if I can't find enough plot things to fill it with besides Harry's magical schooling stuff for Hogwarts. I just didn't feel like the last chapter was a solid ending. You know? I'll likely edit this note before posting so it has the new story's title as well. But first! I need food! Enjoy this delicious story!
> 
> Okay! It's up! Hopeful Magic is the title, enjoy everyone!


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